District Not Recorded
The source did not name an office we could identify. These records remain unassigned rather than guessed.
Justice Department Sues Rhode Island Department of Education and Providence Public School District for Racial Discrimination Against TeachersRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today against the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the Providence Public School District (PPSD) over their “Educators of Color Loan Forgiveness Program” (Program) through which new PPSD teachers who identify as “teachers of color” can receive up to $25,000 in student loan forgiveness while only white teachers are excluded from the Program.
In its complaint, the United States alleges that RIDE and PPSD established the Program in 2021, in partnership with the Rhode Island Foundation (RIF), a publicly supported non-profit organization, to provide $3,175,000 in student loan forgiveness to “teachers of color” over at least five years. The Program is described as an “incentive” to “encourage teachers of color” to teach at PPSD and obliges PPSD to “recruit and retain up to 127 teachers of color” during that period. Under the Program, “Teachers of color” includes teachers “who identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, and/or 2 or more races” and excludes only white teachers. In its complaint, the United States alleges that this race-based exclusion is a pattern or practice of discrimination of PPSD teachers who do not identify as “teachers of color” in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. The complaint asks the court to declare that the Program discriminates on the basis of race, to enter a permanent injunction against RIDE and PPSD stopping them from implementing the Program or any similar race-based program, and to award equitable relief to PPSD teachers who were not eligible for the Program solely because of their race.
“While assisting new teachers in paying off their student loans may be a worthy cause, such a benefit of employment simply cannot be granted or withheld on the basis of the teachers’ race,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “We will not tolerate such plainly prohibited discrimination in employment.”
This case stems from an investigation launched by the Employment Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
You can view the complaint here.
Justice Department Sues Oregon and Maine for Failure to Provide Voter Registration RollsRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division sued the states of Oregon and Maine, and their respective Secretaries of State, for failing to provide information regarding voter list maintenance procedures and electronic copies of statewide voter registration lists.
“States simply cannot pick and choose which federal laws they will comply with, including our voting laws, which ensure that all American citizens have equal access to the ballot in federal elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “American citizens have a right to feel confident in the integrity of our electoral process, and the refusal of certain states to protect their citizens against vote dilution will result in legal consequences.”
The lawsuit against Oregon alleges that Oregon and its Secretary of State Tobias Read violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) by refusing to produce the current unredacted electronic copy of the state’s voter registration list, to provide information on the state’s voter list maintenance program, and to disclose registration information for any ineligible voters.
The lawsuit against Maine alleges that Maine and its Secretary of State Shenna Bellows violated the NVRA, HAVA, and CRA by refusing to provide data regarding the removal of ineligible individuals and to produce an unredacted, computerized state voter registration list.
Yet both states gave identical information requested by the Justice Department to a private organization.
Justice Department Secures Denaturalization of Maryland Man Who Repeatedly Raped Minor VictimRead the Press Release
On September 15, a U.S. District Court in Maryland granted a Justice Department motion for judgment revoking the naturalization of convicted sex offender Jorge Antonio Graciano Lara. The government sued in November 2024 to strip Graciano Lara of his U.S. citizenship, based on his September 2017 conviction for second degree rape. Graciano Lara had pleaded guilty in Maryland state court to having vaginal intercourse with a minor, who was under 14 years old at the time. Indeed, Graciano Lara repeatedly had sexual intercourse with the victim over the course of a four-year period. Graciano Lara threatened his victim so that she would not disclose his abuse.
The Court found the government met its burden to show that Graciano Lara had lacked the requisite good moral character to naturalize due to his crimes, that he had provided false testimony for the purpose of obtaining an immigration benefit, and that he procured his naturalization by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.
“American citizenship is a sacred privilege that this monster should never have obtained,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will continue working to denaturalize criminals like these who lie about their past actions to take advantage of our immigration system.”
“Sex offenders who try to naturalize by hiding their unlawful acts from immigration officials must learn that if the United States finds out, the government will come after their citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The case was investigated as part of Operation Prison Lookout, an ongoing national initiative involving the Justice Department and ICE to identify and prosecute sex offenders who have fraudulently obtained United States citizenship. This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Bradley M. Brinkman of the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from HSI and ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor.
Justice Department Files Motion for Summary Judgment in Challenge to Vermont’s “Climate Superfund” LawRead the Press Release
Note: View motion here.
The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) yesterday filed a motion for summary judgment in its challenge to the State of Vermont’s “climate superfund” law, which imposes what will likely be billions of dollars in liability on foreign and domestic energy companies for their alleged past contributions to climate change. The complaint was filed in May, along with a complaint against the State of New York for its similar statute, to advance President Donald J. Trump’s executive order to protect American energy from state overreach.
As the Justice Department explains in its motion, “Vermont is defying federal law, the Constitution, and binding precedent—all so it can punish disfavored businesses for ill-defined harms, without regard to the real harm to our federal system and the Nation’s energy needs.” The motion asks the court to “end Vermont’s lawless experiment.”
“Like New York, Vermont is usurping the federal government’s exclusive authority over nationwide and global greenhouse gas emissions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “More than that, Vermont’s flagrantly unconstitutional statute threatens to throttle energy production, despite this Administration’s efforts to unleash American energy. It’s high time for the courts to put a stop to this crippling state overreach.”
Chief of Staff and Senior General Counsel John Adams and Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General Riley Walters of ENRD filed the motion.
Motion for Summary Judgment - Vermont.pdfLouisiana Chiropractor Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Health Care Fraud and Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
A Louisiana chiropractor was sentenced today to seven years in prison for his role in health care fraud and unemployment insurance fraud schemes.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Benjamin Tekippe, 40, of New Orleans, was a chiropractor and owner of Metairie Chiropractic & Rehab in New Orleans. Tekippe solicited patients with insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) to visit his clinic by misleadingly offering “free” chiropractic massages for BCBSLA members. Tekippe would typically bill their insurance for the massage, which was generally a full-body massage performed by a massage therapist, and which was not covered. Tekippe would also routinely bill BCBSLA for several other chiropractic services that were either not performed or not performed as billed, including thousands of false and fraudulent claims for chiropractic services he purportedly provided to patients while he was out of the office, including on vacation in Aruba and incarcerated in Arizona and Washington in connection with state charges. When audited by BCBSLA, Tekippe fabricated patient records and instructed his staff to rewrite them in their own handwriting to make it falsely appear that services had been performed as billed. In total, Tekippe submitted over $2.3 million in claims to BCBSLA, and was paid approximately $740,000. Evidence at trial showed that Tekippe spent the fraudulent proceeds on luxury goods and gambling, including over $90,000 at Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans, among other things.
In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tekippe submitted weekly certifications falsely claiming that he was unemployed when he was billing for chiropractic services purportedly performed during his claimed unemployment. Through this scheme, Tekippe received $12,952 in unemployment insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.
In April 2025, Tekippe was convicted by a federal jury of six counts of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to pay$753,794.36 in restitution.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region, Baton Rouge Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Kelly Z. Walters and Samantha Usher 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.
Florida Businessman Charged with Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment on Wednesday charging a Florida businessman with evading taxes on millions in income and filing false tax returns.
The following is according to the indictment: from 2013 to 2021, Joseph Stewart, of Miami, earned more than $6.8 million in dividends from his 50% ownership in a business that sold internet access to American servicemembers and contractors stationed abroad. Though he filed tax returns before the business became profitable, Stewart allegedly stopped filing timely tax returns once he began receiving significant dividends from his business.
The indictment further alleges that, after Stewart received letters from the IRS in 2019, he hired a tax attorney and return preparers and told them a false story: that over $3.8 million in dividends that he received between 2013 and 2018 were nontaxable loans. Stewart allegedly also falsely told these professionals that he did not know the other shareholders of the business. As a result of these falsehoods, the tax professionals allegedly drafted tax returns for Stewart for 2013 through 2020 that underreported his income and taxes due. Except for the 2013 return, all these false tax returns were allegedly filed with the IRS.
The indictment also alleges that in April 2016, Stewart filed a false affidavit with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service that affirmed that he had filed federal tax returns for the previous three years. Additionally, Stewart allegedly attached false unfiled copies of federal tax returns while falsely attesting that they were the true and correct copies of the returns that had been filed with the IRS.
If convicted, Stewart faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each tax evasion count and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of subscribing to a false tax return. Stewart also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Ezra Spiro and Likhitha Butchireddygari of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Sues Fort Worth-Area Tax Preparation Business and Its OwnersRead the Press Release
Note: View complaint here.
The Justice Department today filed a civil injunction suit in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas. The lawsuit seeks to bar Amberley Ritter, Wesley Franklin, Mark Burkart, Kenneth Garner, and DFW Integrity Taxpros Services LLC, which does business as Integrity Tax Pros, from owning or operating a tax preparation business and preparing tax returns for others. The complaint also requests that the court require the defendants to disgorge the return preparation fees they obtained from preparing allegedly false or fraudulent tax returns.
According to the complaint, Ritter, Franklin, and Burkart own Integrity Tax Pros, which operates as tax preparation stores in the Fort Worth area: North Richland Hills, Azle, Watauga, Haltom City, Hurst, and Saginaw. The complaint alleges that Garner acted as the General Manager overseeing Integrity Tax Pros stores.
In the complaint, the government 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 Treasury. Examples of misconduct by defendants, and those acting at their direction, alleged in the complaint include:
- Falsely claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit;
- Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses;
- Claiming false education credits;
- Claiming fabricated COVID-19-related tax credits;
- Fabricating itemized deductions, including for unreimbursed employee business expenses;
- Failing to conduct the required due diligence when claiming tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit; and
- Failing to identify the actual paid preparer of completed tax returns.
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.
Ritter - Taxpros Filed Complaint.pdfJustice Department Announces Ruling to Protect Military Servicemembers’ Civilian Employment Pension BenefitsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that the U.S. District Court of Guam ruled in favor of the United States in its lawsuit against the Government of Guam and the Guam Retirement Fund (Guam) to protect servicemembers’ civilian employment pension benefits while they serve in the military.
When Guam civilian employees such as teachers and firefighters are called for active military service, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) entitles them to receive certain civilian employment benefits, including pension benefits, during their time of military service. In its complaint, the United States alleges that Guam unlawfully considered military leave a break in service and refused to award servicemembers retirement service credit while they were on military leave. Guam also refused to contribute employer contributions, and to accept employee contributions, while servicemembers were on military leave.
“USERRA provides civilian employees with valuable employment benefits while they serve in the military,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employers cannot deny our military servicemembers these benefits while they sacrifice their time and careers and serve their country.”
On Sept. 4, the district court ruled in favor of the United States on its motion for summary judgment, holding that treating the leave as a break in service violates the servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. The court also held that the servicemembers were entitled to receive employer contributions, and to make employee contributions, in the same amounts and manner as employees not on military leave.
USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to reemployment in their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations, provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations, and ensures that servicemembers receive certain civilian employment benefits, including pension benefits, during their time of military service. The Justice Department prioritizes the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s website www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
Debtor Who Led Crypto Investment Scheme Denied Bankruptcy DischargeRead the Press Release
The U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment denying a bankruptcy discharge of more than $12.5 million to a Texas man who concealed assets and lied in his bankruptcy case to evade his creditors, including investors in his cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme.
On Aug. 1, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas entered a default judgment against chapter 7 debtor Nathan Fuller. Fuller owned Privvy Investments LLC, a cryptocurrency investment company that he used to divert investor funds. Fuller spent a portion of the money on luxury goods, gambling trips, and a nearly $1 million home for his ex-wife, who was involved in the business and with whom Fuller still resided.
“Fraudsters seeking to whitewash their schemes will not find sanctuary in bankruptcy,” said U.S. Trustee Kevin Epstein of Region 7, which includes the Southern District of Texas. “The USTP remains vigilant for cases filed by dishonest debtors, who threaten the integrity of the bankruptcy system.”
Fuller filed for bankruptcy in October 2024 after a receiver was appointed to take possession of his assets in a lawsuit brought by investors in Texas state court. Following an investigation, the USTP’s Houston office filed a complaint objecting to Fuller’s discharge alleging that Fuller had concealed extensive assets, failed to keep records, and made multiple false oaths regarding his bankruptcy case and a separate bankruptcy filing for Privvy.
After being held in civil contempt for failing to comply with court orders, Fuller admitted that he had operated Privvy as a Ponzi scheme and fabricated documentation to advance the scheme. Fuller also admitted that he gave false testimony and falsified bankruptcy documents to hinder the chapter 7 trustee appointed to administer his and Privvy’s bankruptcy cases.
Following those admissions, Fuller failed to respond to the USTP’s complaint, leading to a default judgment in the USTP’s favor. As a result, Fuller remains personally liable for his debts – including more than $12.5 million in unsecured debts listed in his bankruptcy schedules – and creditors may continue collections on claims against him.
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.
U.S. Trustee Program Obtains More Than $1.1M in Monetary Relief Against 12 Defendants in Nationwide Foreclosure Defense SchemeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment imposing more than $1.1 million in civil penalties, fines, damages, and fees against 12 defendants who collaborated in a nationwide scheme to defraud vulnerable homeowners facing foreclosure.
On Aug. 28, following an eight-day trial on the USTP’s complaint, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana entered judgment against NVA Financial Services LLC; its president and sole member, Steven Nahas; Karen Kisch, the defendants’ managing attorney; and nine associates involved in the business. The court found “overwhelming evidence” that the defendants carried out a scheme in which homeowners were “shunted into frivolous pro se bankruptcy cases” so that the defendants could continue billing the homeowners under the pretense of gaining time to negotiate loan modifications. The USTP introduced evidence at trial showing that the scheme resulted in at least 186 abusive bankruptcy filings.
“This judgment makes clear that those who abuse the bankruptcy system to exploit struggling homeowners will be held accountable,” said Acting Director Ramona D. Elliott of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “The USTP will remain vigilant to root out schemes that threaten the integrity of the bankruptcy system.”
The USTP’s complaint arose out of a chapter 13 bankruptcy case filed by a homeowner from West Monroe, Louisiana, who had sought mortgage assistance to avoid a foreclosure sale. The homeowner paid a $1,100 retainer for what he believed was legal representation, followed by multiple $500 monthly payments debited from his bank account. The defendants’ local counsel in Louisiana, who the homeowner believed was representing him, never communicated with him or provided any assistance. Instead, with the foreclosure sale date approaching, an NVA associate sent the homeowner a bare-bones bankruptcy petition — listing the mortgage lender as the only creditor — and told him how to file it on his own. The bankruptcy court dismissed the petition a month later for failure to provide proof of required pre-bankruptcy credit counseling and failure to pay the filing fee.
The defendants continued to debit the homeowner’s bank account for “loan modification services” while pressuring him to file another bankruptcy case. After the homeowner received notice of a rescheduled foreclosure sale, he hired a local bankruptcy attorney, but the defendants repeatedly urged him to fire the attorney and allow them to continue to “work his file.” The homeowner’s new attorney reopened the bankruptcy case and eventually negotiated a mortgage loan modification for the homeowner.
In an opinion accompanying the judgment, the bankruptcy court concluded that each of the 12 defendants had abused multiple sections of the Bankruptcy Code governing bankruptcy petition preparers, debt relief agencies, and attorneys, resulting in at least 186 abusive bankruptcy filings nationwide. While trying to hide their involvement in the fraudulent scheme, the defendants tried to earn as much money as possible and often abused the bankruptcy process.
Along with imposing $1.1 million in monetary relief, the court temporarily suspended Kisch and the defendants’ local counsel in Louisiana from practicing before the bankruptcy court and referred them to attorney disciplinary authorities for violations of professional conduct rules. Two associates involved in the business were referred to disciplinary authorities as well for their unauthorized practice of law.
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.
Religious Liberty Commission Hosts Second Hearing on Religious Liberty in Public EducationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Religious Liberty Commission hosted President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, parents, and students to discuss religious liberty issues in public education. The hearing included several panels of students who shared stories of challenges to their religious liberty, and parents whose right to direct the religious upbringing of their children was challenged or abridged in the school system. The hearing’s objective was to understand the historic landscape of religious liberty in the public education setting, identify present threats to religious liberty in America’s public school systems, and identify opportunities to secure religious liberty in this context for the future.
"Under the Trump Administration, we’re defending our rights and restoring our identity as a nation under God," said President Donald J. Trump. “We are one nation under God, and we always will be."
"Our Founders believed every individual has the right to worship freely—without fear, without censorship, and without hostility from their own government," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi." Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice has returned to its core purpose: defending the Constitution and protecting the God-given rights of every single American."
"Today was a special moment in history as President Trump spoke at the Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty," said RLC Chair Dan Patrick, Lt. Governor of Texas. "No President since our nation’s foundation has put faith and freedom at the forefront of his entire agenda. President Trump’s emphasis on religious liberty will restore our nation, once again, to send a clear message to the world that we are a nation that was founded on the word of God. Thank you, Mr. President."
President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at the Religious Liberty Commission hearing.
Chairman Dan Patrick, Lt. Governor of Texas, Attorney General Bondi, President Donald J. Trump, and HUD Secretary Scott Turner at the Religious Liberty Commission hearingThe witnesses included:
Shea Encinas: Former Student at La Costa Heights Elementary School in Carlsbad, California
Shea was targeted and harassed by school administration and classmates after objecting to read a book glorifying transgenderism to a kindergarten student.
Lydia Booth: Simpson County School District student
Lydia was prohibited from wearing a “Jesus loves me” face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite nothing in the dress code banning religious clothing. Lydia’s family successfully sued allowing Lydia to once again wear her mask.
Justin Aguilar: High School Valedictorian from North Carolina
A school administrator struck through a number of instances of the word “God” and “Jesus Christ” in Justin’s valedictorian speech, despite the language being protected by the United States Constitution. Justin respectfully and successfully appealed to deliver the speech unchanged.
Valerie Cleveringa: Former student at West Ward Elementary School in Allegan, Michigan
Valerie was prohibited from singing a religious song, “That’s Who I Praise,” by popular Christian artist Brandon Lake, in the school talent show. After public outcry, the school reversed course and allowed Valerie to perform the song.
Hannah Allen: Honey Grove School District student
Hannah and a group of classmates decided to pray during lunch for a former classmate recently in a car accident. Their principal told the group “Y’all don’t do that again,” and said they could only pray on the stage behind the curtain, outside of the school building, in the gym with no one present. After being informed of the students’ constitutional rights, the school corrected the policy to allow students to pray publicly.
Jeremy Dys: Senior Counsel for First Liberty
Dys earned his law degree from West Virginia University College of Law in 2005. After law school, Dys clerked for the Hon. Russell M. Clawges, Jr., chief judge of the Circuit Court of Monongalia County in Morgantown, West Virginia. For six years prior to joining First Liberty Institute, Dys led a public policy organization where he led research and advocacy efforts on matters of life, marriage, and religious freedom.
Lana Roman: Maryland Parent fighting the Montgomery County Board of Education
Lana and other parents in Maryland are fighting back against the Montgomery County Board of Education for forcing pre-K and elementary-aged children to read controversial books promoting transgender and sexually-focused content. On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that parents have the right to opt their children out of books that push one-sided views on gender identity and sexuality that violate religious beliefs.
Jennifer Mead: Mother of child who was secretly transitioned
Dan and Jennifer Mead sued the Rockford Public School District in Michigan after district employees began treating the couple’s middle-school daughter as a boy without their knowledge or consent.
Jenny Encinas: Mother of Shea Encinas
Shea’s family is suing to bring accountability and seek a court order stating that the school district must notify parents in advance and allow opt-outs from teachings that violate religious and moral beliefs.
Sameerah Munshi: RLC Advisory Board Member
Sameerah has courageously spoken out against forcing children to learn radical gender ideology in schools. She testified before the Montgomery County School Board and has worked with the Coalition of Virtue and the Religious Freedom Institute.
Alyza Lewin: RLC Advisory Board Member
Alyza Lewin is the President of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. Lewin is also a co-founder and partner in Lewin & Lewin, LLP where she specializes in litigation, mediation and government relations. Her experience includes criminal defense, civil litigation and anti-discrimination matters. Lewin served as President of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists from 2012 – 2017.
David Cortman: Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. litigation for Alliance Defending Freedom
David A. Cortman serves as senior counsel and vice president of U.S. litigation with Alliance Defending Freedom. He has been practicing law for nearly 30 years and currently supervises attorneys and legal staff who specialize in constitutional law, focusing on religious freedom, free speech, and the sanctity of life.
Maggie DeJong: Former Graduate student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE)
Maggie was silenced with no-contact orders from SIUE after students complained that her speech, including social media posts, messages to students, and class discussions on an array of topics was considered “harmful.” Maggie sued, and SIUE officials revised policies and the student handbook to ensure students with varying ideological and religious views are welcome on campus.
Norvilia Etienne Cain: Pro-life advocate
As a student, Norvilia requested to create a Students for Life Group at Queens College in New York. The school denied the request without explanation. The students sued, and Queens College officially recognized the group, but it took almost one year to update its policy to protect other students from the same type of discrimination.
Chike Uzuegbunam: Former student at Georgia Gwinett College
While peacefully sharing his Christian views with students on campus, college officials stopped Chike on two occasions, stating he needed permission in advance to use certain “speech zones” that were small and not open regularly. Chike followed the school’s policy, and was still stopped from speaking. Chike challenged the school’s policy all the way up to the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in his favor.
Kimberlee Colby: Attorney, Christian Legal Society’s Center for Law and Religious Freedom
Kim Colby has worked for Christian Legal Society’s Center for Law and Religious Freedom since graduating from Harvard Law School in 1981. She has represented religious groups in several appellate cases, including two cases heard by the United States Supreme Court. She has filed numerous amicus briefs in federal and state courts. In 1984, she assisted in congressional passage of the Equal Access Act, 20 U.S.C. § 4071, et seq., which protects the right of secondary school students to meet for prayer and Bible study on campus. Ms. Colby has prepared several CLS publications addressing issues about religious expression in public schools, including released time programs, implementation of the Equal Access Act, and teachers’ religious expression.
Watch the hearing HERE
Attorney General Bondi delivers remarks at the Religious Liberty Commission hearing
Chairman Dan Patrick and Vice Chair Dr. Ben Carson at Religious Liberty Commission hearing.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.
Norfolk Southern Agrees to Give Amtrak Trains Highest Priority over Freight Trains and Make its Delay Records for Amtrak Trains Available to the Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced a settlement with Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (together, Norfolk Southern) to resolve allegations that Norfolk Southern delayed Amtrak passenger trains on Amtrak’s Crescent Route in violation of federal law by failing to give Amtrak trains preference over freight trains. As a result of the settlement, the Justice Department has moved to dismiss its lawsuit against Norfolk Southern.
As part of the settlement, Norfolk Southern agreed to provide all Amtrak trains the highest priority; train its employees to give priority to Amtrak trains; require supervisor approval for any dispatching decision that does not give priority to Amtrak trains in non-emergency situations; and provide records regarding delays suffered by Amtrak trains traveling on the Crescent Route controlled by Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern has also pledged to assist the Justice Department in determining the root cause of any delays to Amtrak Crescent Route trains. Norfolk Southern’s Vice President of Compliance will annually certify that Norfolk Southern is in compliance with the agreement and its obligations under the law to provide Amtrak trains preference.
“Americans traveling by train are entitled to trips free from delays caused by railroads failing to give Amtrak preference over freight trains,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The settlement reached today, as well as Norfolk Southern’s improved performance on Amtrak’s Crescent Route, demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting everyday American train passengers.”
The Crescent Route, operated by Amtrak (also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation), is a 1,377-mile passenger line that stops at 33 cities and towns connecting rural areas in Virgina, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana to each other and larger cities. Norfolk Southern controls 1,140 miles of rail line on the Crescent Route and handles dispatching for all trains along that segment. Approximately 304,000 passengers traveled on the Crescent Route during 2024 and year-over-year ridership has increased so far in 2025.
According to the complaint filed on July 30, 2024, federal law requires all rail carriers that contract with Amtrak to provide Amtrak passenger trains preference over freight trains. The complaint alleges that Norfolk Southern regularly failed to do so, leading to widespread delays to train passengers.
Since the Justice Department filed its complaint, passengers traveling on the Crescent Route have experienced widespread improvements. From 2024 to 2025, the number of delay minutes incurred by Amtrak’s Crescent trains has declined by 53%.
Trial Attorneys Max Goldman, Paulina Stamatelos and Oliver McDonald of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the case.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Files Case Seeking to Revoke the Naturalization of Immigration FraudsterRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the U.S. District Court in Orlando, Florida, against a native of Argentina who illegally procured his U.S. citizenship by gaining permanent resident status through the Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act based on a false claim that he was born in Cuba.
“The Justice Department is committed to preserving the integrity of United States citizenship and will aggressively pursue the denaturalization of fraudsters who lie to gain immigration benefits,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Civil denaturalization is an important tool in ensuring that only qualified individuals with good moral character earn U.S. citizenship. The civil complaint charges that Moio Bartolini exploited our immigration system and unlawfully secured the ultimate immigration benefit of naturalization. The filing of this case sends a clear message: if you do not tell the truth to immigration officials and break our immigration laws, we will prosecute you and denaturalize you.”
In 2013, Fernando Adrian Moio Bartolini, 50, a native of Argentina and resident of Windermere, Florida, was convicted in the Southern District of Florida of committing passport fraud. During criminal proceedings, he admitted that after he entered the United States on a visitor’s visa, purchased a fraudulent Cuban birth certificate, obtained a fraudulent Cuban passport, and applied for permanent resident status in the United States under the Cuban Adjustment Act, claiming that he was a native and citizen of Cuba.
After Bartolini illegally procured naturalization, he fraudulently obtained a U.S. passport, falsely stating on his passport application that he was born in Cuba. His fraud was uncovered when Moio Bartolini attempted to enter the United States at the Miami International Airport aboard a flight from Medellín, Colombia, and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer recognized his Argentinian accent. Moio Bartolini was arrested and charged with false statement in the application for and use of a passport. When he pleaded guilty, he admitted that he was born in Argentina and that he used the fraudulent Cuban documents to adjust status to permanent resident and, ultimately, to naturalize as a U.S. citizen.
The civil denaturalization complaint charges Moio Bartolini with illegal procurement of naturalization because he did not lawfully adjust to permanent resident status and because he provided false testimony in his naturalization interview. The complaint also charges that Moio Bartolini procured U.S. citizenship through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation. The Immigration and Nationality Act requires the U.S. District Court to revoke Moio Bartolini’s naturalization if it finds him liable on any of the charges.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the Department of Homeland Security and will be litigated by the Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section.
The claims in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Court Enters Consent Order Requiring North Carolina to Fix Inaccurate Voter ListRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a federal court has entered a consent order that remedies North Carolina’s failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The successful resolution of the case is another step toward achieving the mandate in President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14248 entitled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” to ensure that elections are being held in compliance with federal laws which guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion.
In the lawsuit filed on May 27, the United States alleged that North Carolina, in violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, used a State voter registration form that did not require a voter to provide identifying information such as a driver’s license number or last four digits of a social security number. When the lawsuit was filed, it is estimated that at least 100,000 voters did not have the required identifying information on North Carolina’s registration rolls. As of early September, that number has decreased as North Carolina engages in remedial actions to comply with HAVA.
“Unsuccessful intervenors showed breathtaking hubris when they made alarmist accusations against the Department of Justice, and yet claimed credit for the very relief that the Department actively pursued in the complaint,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Nevertheless, we are pleased with the progress North Carolina has made and will continue to make as it cleans up its registration rolls, as required by federal law.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Attorney General Bondi Issues Memo Upholding Constitutional Rights and Parental Authority in America's Education SystemRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi sent a memo to FBI Director Kash Patel and all 93 U.S. Attorneys entitled Upholding Constitutional Rights and Parental Authority in America’s Education System.
As Attorney General Bondi notes in the memo, “recent years have seen a disturbing trend in which government officials and public education authorities have ignored, dismissed, or even retaliated against concerned parents” for daring to voice opposition to their children’s curriculum. Notably, the prior administration engaged in such weaponization by targeting concerned parents at school board meetings with a threat tag reserved for potential terrorists.
Under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, parents’ First Amendment rights – and their “fundamental right to direct the moral and religious education of their children” – will be protected from unlawful attacks.
Per today’s memo, Attorney General Bondi has instructed U.S. Attorneys to “work with federal, state, and local partners to identify and respond to credible threats against parents or violations of their lawful rights.”
Please read the full memo HERE
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Crimes on Public Lands
Yellowstone National Park
John Nofsinger, 31, of Columbus, Ohio pled guilty to operating a motor vehicle in Yellowstone National Park with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or higher and refusing to provide a breath test. On the same date Nofsinger was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration for refusing the official breath test, with credit for 2 days previously served. Nofsinger was sentenced to a 3-year term of probation for driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol under certain terms and conditions, including a ban from Yellowstone National Park during the probation period. Nofsinger was also sentenced to pay a total of $800 in fines and court costs. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Sept. 3 in Mammoth, Wyoming.
Michael O’Connell, 54 of Canton, Massachusetts, pled guilty to operating a motor vehicle in Yellowstone National Park under the influence of alcohol to the extent he was incapable of safely operating a motor vehicle and refusing to comply with an official breath test. For refusing to comply with the official breath test O’Connell was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration with credit for 1 day previously served. O’Connell was ordered to serve the additional 6-day sentence immediately and was not released from custody after the sentencing hearing. O’Connell was also sentenced to a 2-year term of probation for driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol under certain terms and conditions, including a ban from Yellowstone National Park during the probation period. O’Connell was also sentenced to pay a total of $800 in fines and court costs. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Sept. 4 in Mammoth, Wyoming.
Kyle Decare, 30 of Brighton, Michigan, pled guilty to operating a motor vehicle in Yellowstone National Park with a breath alcohol concentration of .08% and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver’s license. Decare was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration with credit for 2 days previously served for driving the motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. For driving with a suspended driver’s license, the defendant was sentenced to a 2-year term of probation under certain terms and conditions, including a ban from Yellowstone National Park during the probation period. Decare was also sentenced to pay a total of $1,650 in fines and court costs because it was his second DUI conviction within one year. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Sept. 4 in Mammoth, Wyoming.
Drug Trafficking
Calvin Eugene Stroup, 42, of Greeley, Colorado, was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, in February 2024, agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) began an investigation into drug trafficking in Sheridan and Campbell Counties. Through the investigation, agents identified Stroup as a middleman, receiving large quantities from a source of supply and selling them to distributors in Wyoming. DCI investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Stroup was indicted on Jan. 15 and pleaded guilty on June 4. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Aug. 22 in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00016
Collie Judson Warren, 49, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During an investigation into drug trafficking activities on the Wind River Indian Reservation and surrounding communities, Agents of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) observed Warren pick up suspected drugs from a known source of supply. Agents subsequently seized nearly two pounds of methamphetamine from Warren’s pickup. The FBI and DCI through the Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force investigated the offense. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Warren was indicted on March 20 and pleaded guilty on June 6. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Aug. 22 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00055
Violent Crime
Matthew Jarrett Smith, 33, of Kinnear, Wyoming, was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to court documents, on Dec. 5, 2024, law enforcement responded to an assault incident. The victim reported she had been assaulted by the defendant including being hit, kicked, and strangled, which resulted in extensive injuries to her neck and face, rib fractures, bruising and swelling, and a broken toe. The crime was investigated by the FBI and the BIA Wind River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted the case. The defendant was indicted on Jan. 15 and pleaded guilty on June 2. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Aug. 21 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-00012
Drew Blackburn, Jr., 18, from Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for making interstate threats to injure another person. According to court documents, between August and October 2024, the defendant was incarcerated in South Dakota for conduct related to an assault on his victim. During that time, correctional officers audited his phone calls and learned he had been calling the victim with whom he was not supposed to have contact. They also found over 1,000 texts, some of them containing threats. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Blackburn was indicted on March 20, and he pleaded guilty on June 3. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Aug. 22 in Casper. Case No. 25-00046
Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Juan Flores-Pinuelas, 37, of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on Jan. 3, the defendant was arrested in Uinta County for domestic battery. Fingerprints taken at the time of detention indicated Flores-Pinuelas is a citizen of Mexico and agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were contacted. They determined that Flores-Pinuelas had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in December 2018. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Aug. 18 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00100Jose Guadelupe Luna-Murillo, 29, of Jalisco, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on Nov. 3, 2024, the defendant was arrested in Sweetwater County for driving while under the influence. He provided a written statement that he was from Mexico and that he was in the U.S. illegally. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were contacted and they took the defendant’s fingerprints. It was determined that Luna-Murillo had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in September 2018. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Sept. 4 in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00009
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Operation Take Back America
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
High-Ranking Member of Violent Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced on Drug Trafficking Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
A Mexican national and high-ranking, violent member of the Los Zetas cartel was sentenced today to over 31 years in prison for conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana. He was also ordered to pay $26.5 million in forefeiture.
“Eleazar Medina-Rojas used extreme violence to rise through the ranks of Los Zetas, and, as a plaza boss, ensured that the cartel maintained control over key drug trafficking routes used to direct cocaine and marijuana into the United States, devastating our communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentence is a powerful reminder that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue and bring to justice violent cartel members and hold them accountable for the death and destruction they have committed here in the United States and abroad.”
“For four years, Medina-Rojas had a tight grip on routes where he was able to smuggle more than 3,000 tons of drugs into our Southern Texas border,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan C. Pullen of the Houston Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Medina-Rojas controlled the routes leading to Brownsville, Laredo, and McAllen, eliminating anyone who stood in the way of his profit. DEA Houston agents' relentless work disrupted his drug trafficking routes, which eventually led to his capture, weakening the ruthless Los Zetas drug trafficking organization.”
According to court documents, Eleazar Medina-Rojas, also known as El Chelelo, 53, of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was a member of Los Zetas, a drug trafficking organization comprised primarily of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Los Zetas later formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel, and they collectively operated under the name “The Company.” Medina-Rojas was responsible for enforcement actions and protection of drug trafficking routes, which he often carried out through violence, threats of violence, and the use of weapons. For example, Medina-Rojas participated in acts of violence against rival drug trafficking groups during conflicts for control over drug plazas and trafficking routes. Medina-Rojas rose through the ranks of The Company and held important leadership roles, including directly facilitating cocaine and marijuana trafficking into and within the United States. Between 2006 and 2007, he served as regional leader, known as a “plaza boss,” in Monterrey, Mexico, commanding dozens of members of The Company in drug trafficking activity and acts of violence. Rojas was personally responsible for the importation of more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States.
The DEA Houston Division investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and July 2023 extradition of Medina-Rojas.
Trial Attorneys Jayce Born, Kirk Handrich, and Hunter Smith of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case.
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 OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Arkansas Division of Correction to Improve Medical Care and Mobility ServicesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department announced an agreement with the Arkansas Division of Correction (ADOC) to provide necessary medical care and mobility services to disabled inmates of ADOC’s Ouachita River Unit prison facility, as required by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
“Public entities, including correctional facilities, must comply with the ADA by providing facilities and programs that are accessible to people with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the ADA to ensure equal access for all Americans.”
The Ouachita River Unit is a maximum, medium, and minimum-security prison facility, located in Malvern, Arkansas, with a capacity for 1,782 inmates. It also includes a Special Needs Unit, which provides beds, hospital services, and sheltered living for inmates categorized as having special needs, including elderly, chronically ill, and acutely ill inmates. At a Sept. 3 public Board of Corrections meeting, the ADOC’s Board of Corrections reviewed and approved the agreement without objection.
Under the agreement, ADOC will: (1) remove barriers to access for inmates with mobility disabilities in different areas of the prison, including cells, toilet rooms, showers, medical facilities, and dining halls; (2) make sure shower water is cool enough to avoid scalding paralyzed inmates who cannot feel their skin burning; (3) ensure inmates with disabilities are provided with medically necessary equipment and durable medical equipment such as trapeze bars, transfer boards, or patient lifts for transferring from a wheelchair to another surface including a bed or toilet; and (4) provide adequate care and treatment such as wound care and adequate catheter care.
To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov.
Justice Department Opens Investigation into Rainsville, Alabama for Disability and Religious Liberty DiscriminationRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into the City of Rainsville, Alabama, to determine whether the City violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), and the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by denying a faith-based organization’s application to operate an addiction-recovery facility in the City.
The Department opened this investigation after receiving a complaint alleging that the City denied a Christian recovery organization the ability to establish a Christian discipleship program, motivated by a desire to keep away “drug addicts.” The program was intended to rehabilitate men with drug and alcohol dependency, and other life-controlling problems.
“The ADA affords every individual, including those on the path to recovery, the dignity and opportunity to fully participate in society,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division stands guard to protect not only the rights of Americans with disabilities, but also the rights of religious institutions to minister to those recovering from substance abuse.”
The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability by public entities. People in recovery from substance use disorders who are not currently engaging in illegal drug use are protected by the ADA. The ADA prohibits public entities from discriminating against people with disabilities on that basis. The FHA further prohibits such discrimination by municipalities in making housing unavailable to people with disabilities.
RLUIPA is a federal law that guards religious institutions from unduly burdensome, unequal, or discriminatory land use regulations. More information about RLUIPA and the department’s work can be found on the Place to Worship Initiative’s webpage.
If you believe you have been a victim of disability discrimination, please file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division online at https://www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/, or by calling the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (1-833-610-1264 (TTY)). For more information on the ADA and the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.ada.gov or www.justice.gov/crt.
And individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (833) 591-0291 or may submit a complaint through the RLUIPA complaint portal. More information about RLUIPA, including questions and answers about the law and other documents, may be found at www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/rluipaexplain.php.
EOIR Announces Significant Immigration Court MilestonesRead the Press Release
FALLS CHURCH, Va. – The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced today its completion of more than 722,000 cases during the first 11 months of fiscal year (FY) 2025, exceeding all of FY 2024 case completions and constituting the highest single-FY completion total in the agency’s history. EOIR has also reduced its pending caseload in immigration courts by over 447,000 cases since Jan. 20, 2025, bringing the pending caseload down from more than 4.18 million to under 3.75 million, the sharpest decrease in caseload in EOIR’s history.
“Reducing the immigration court backlog is one of the highest priorities for the agency,” said EOIR Acting Director Sirce E. Owen. “This Administration is committed to using all of its resources to continue to adjudicate immigration cases fairly, expeditiously, and uniformly.”
Since January, EOIR has issued numerous policy memoranda, which returned to its adjudicators the ability to decide cases consistent with the law and restore EOIR’s integrity as a preeminent administrative adjudicatory agency. EOIR accomplished this by implementing measures such as restoring adjudicator impartiality, expanding the Dedicated Docket, and rescinding over 20 policies that were unfounded in law or discouraged the timely completion of cases.
EOIR is committed to making further advancements to its operational efficiency, thereby helping to ensure timely justice for both parties involved and the public it serves.Department of Justice Sues City of Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu over Sanctuary City LawsRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and the Boston Police Department and Police Commissioner over Boston’s sanctuary city laws that interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.
“The City of Boston and its Mayor have been among the worst sanctuary offenders in America – they explicitly enforce policies designed to undermine law enforcement and protect illegal aliens from justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “If Boston won’t protect its citizens from illegal alien crime, this Department of Justice will.”
Not only are Boston’s sanctuary city policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, Boston’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.
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 Aug. 5, Attorney General Bondi published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which included the City of Boston, 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 New York, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, California.
The Department of Justice Proposes Legislation to Protect Children from Gender MutilationRead the Press Release
Yesterday the U.S. Department of Justice transmitted a legislative proposal to Congress that protects and defends children from chemical and surgical mutilation under the guise of “gender-affirming care,” in line with Executive Order 14187.
The Victims of Chemical or Surgical Mutilation Act (VCSMA), led by Representative Bob Onder (R, MO-03) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), prohibits healthcare professionals, physicians, hospitals, or clinics from participating in the chemical or surgical mutilation of a child and creates a private right of action for children and the parents of children whose healthy body parts have been damaged by medical professionals practicing chemical and surgical mutilation.
“The Department of Justice has heard from far too many families who have been devastated by mutilative medical procedures that fly in the face of basic biology,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “While we continue our ongoing legal battle to protect children, we appreciate our colleagues in Congress who are working diligently alongside us to end these abusive procedures once and for all.”
Read The Victims of Chemical or Surgical Mutilation Act HERE.
Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize War Criminal Who Beat, Tortured, and Sexually Assaulted Civilians in the Bosnian War in 1992Read the Press Release
The United States filed a denaturalization action in the Western District of Virginia yesterday against Slobodan Letic, a native of Croatia, who, according to the Department of Justice’s complaint, concealed and misrepresented his involvement in the beating, torture, and sexual assault of civilians in the Bosnian War in 1992, when he was an officer in the Bosnian Serb army. Letic took two women detainees out of a camp before driving them to an apartment where he beat and raped them. After the women were released from the camp, Letic later found one of them walking in the streets and again took her to an abandoned house and forcefully raped her. Letic also invaded the homes of other civilians in Bosnia and inflicted severe beatings, torture, and mock executions on them.
Letic concealed his involvement in war crimes and acts of persecution throughout his immigration and naturalization proceedings after entering the United States by claiming to be a refugee in 2000. Additionally, the civil complaint alleges that Letic concealed his Bosnian criminal convictions for corruption-related acts he performed as a police officer after the war. Letic naturalized as a U.S. citizen on Sept. 22, 2006.
“The United States is not a safe haven for war criminals and human rights violators,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Letic entered our country posing as a victim of persecution when in fact he had committed horrendous acts as a persecutor of others. He took advantage of our generous system for refugee admissions and should not have been granted U.S. citizenship. This action seeks to redress that wrong, and we are committed to upholding the integrity of the naturalization process against fraud and misrepresentation.”
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and his certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.
This case was investigated by the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, with assistance from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations Historian William Tomljanovich and Attaché John Christoforo of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the government of Bosnia. The litigation is being handled by Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla and reviewed by Max Weintraub of the Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit for Mississippi Woman Terminated for Alleging Sexual HarassmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the city of Hattiesburg, Mississippi for violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by terminating a former employee who opposed and complained about sexual harassment in the workplace.
Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and religion and prohibits retaliation against employees for opposing discriminatory employment practices. According to the Department’s complaint, filed today in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, the city terminated former employee, Hope Chatman, after she reported sexual harassment and refused to sit near her harasser after reporting his conduct to management. The complaint seeks damages, back pay, and revisions to the City’s policies, practices, and procedures to prevent and remedy retaliation that violates Title VII.
“No one who speaks up against workplace sexual harassment should face retaliation for doing so. The Department is committed to fully enforcing our federal employment discrimination laws, including through banning sexual harassment and retaliation,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
This case stems from a charge of discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and investigated by the EEOC’s Jackson Area office. The EEOC investigated the charge and found reasonable cause to believe the city violated Title VII. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred the charge to the Justice Department.
You can view the complaint here.
Employees with complaints of sexual harassment can report them to their local EEOC office or their respective state or local fair employment practices agencies. The contact information for each local EEOC office can be found at www.eeoc.gov/field-office.
Grand Jury Indicts Three U.S. Citizens, 22 Chinese Nationals, Four Chinese Pharmaceutical Companies in International Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a federal grand jury in Dayton, Ohio, returned charges against dozens of defendants, including Chinese nationals and companies, in narcotics and money laundering conspiracies involving illegal cutting agents.
“Protecting Americans from fentanyl is one of this Department’s most important missions — and it starts with dismantling the international pipelines that bring deadly drugs and precursor to our shores,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until we stop Chinese companies from shipping poison to our citizens and bring everyone involved in this lethal trade to swift, complete justice.”
“Our indictment alleges that Chinese companies and affiliated foreign nationals intentionally and openly marketed, delivered, and exported to the United States controlled substances and other compounds that they knew would be used by domestic drug dealers to increase the yield and potency of fentanyl distributed in this country,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Dominick S. Gerace II. “As explained in court documents, these deadly drug mixtures were then sold directly into our communities here in southern Ohio.”
“Today’s announcement marks a first-of-its-kind international operation for the FBI targeting the fentanyl plague that has killed tens of thousands of Americans and indicting the companies and individuals in mainland China that manufacture the precursor chemicals fueling the destruction of our communities,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This operation has already seized enough fentanyl powder to kill 70 million Americans and enough fentanyl pills to kill another 270,000. And we have now indicted the Chinese precursor companies and exposed the funding streams that facilitate this deadly trade.”
According to charging documents, from at least 2022 until present, Eric Michael Payne, 39, of Tipp City, Ohio, served as a main supplier of illegal cutting agents to fentanyl traffickers operating in southern Ohio. Payne allegedly purchased several kilogram shipments of the cutting agents from multiple Chinese companies purporting to be online pharmacies and legitimate chemical companies.
It is believed that the U.S. defendants purchased from the Chinese companies at least 10 kilograms of fentanyl cutting agents, which, in turn, could yield more than 150 kilograms of fentanyl mixture bound for street-level sales in southern Ohio. The cutting agents included animal tranquilizers up to 200 times more powerful than morphine.
The companies allegedly used a series of Chinese foreign nationals located overseas to solicit, negotiate, and secure payments for illegal cutting agents from U.S. customers. It is alleged the foreign nationals generally directed U.S. customers to pay for the cutting agents using cryptocurrency transferred to crypto wallets under the foreign national’s control for ultimate deposit into financial institutions located overseas.
Payne’s significant other, Auriyon Tresan Rayford, 24, also of Tipp City, Ohio, and Ciandrea Bryne Davis, 39, of Atlanta, allegedly assisted Payne in transferring more than $60,000 in cryptocurrency to Chinese foreign nationals associated with the Chinese companies since 2022. Rayford also allegedly allowed illegal substances to be stored at her residence in Ohio.
All the defendants are charged with conspiring with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl mixture and conspiring to launder money internationally. Payne is also charged with possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl mixture and tampering with evidence. Rayford is charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises.
The Chinese companies and nationals charged include:
Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Company, Ltd.,
Guanghzou Wanjiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd.,
Hebei Hongjun New Material Technology Co., Ltd.,
Hebei Feilaimi Technology Co., Ltd.,
Lihui Zhao,
FNU LNU a/k/a “Anna Sofia,”
Shanhong Jiang,
Yan Yang,
Fengdi Zhang,
Dehui Xia,
Xing Wu Chen,
Qing Lin Wang,
Xiaojun Huang,
Meixiang Yao,
Zhanpeng Huang,
Yuqing Feng,
Dongjing Sun,
Chengqi Nong,
Tiduo Wei,
Zhisong Nie,
Jichao Zhu,
Zhengzhe Yin,
Changgen Du,
Hongfei Wang,
Huatao Yao, and
Xuening Gao.
Concurrent with the charges brought against this network, the U.S. Department of the Treasury today has imposed sanctions on one of these Chinese companies, Guangzhou Tengyue, and two of its representatives, Zhanpeng Huang and Xiaojun Huang, targeting them pursuant to Treasury’s counternarcotics authorities.
Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth McCormick are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Former DPHSS Employee Sentenced for Defrauding Assistance ProgramsRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Natasha Peredo Vitug, age 49, was sentenced to one month of imprisonment and 11 months home confinement. She was charged in the U.S. District Court of Guam with Theft Concerning Program Receiving Federal Funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(A). The Court also ordered three years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $149,944.84, and $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Defendants convicted of SNAP fraud are barred from further participation in the program.
Natasha Peredo Vitug was previously employed as an Eligibility Specialist at the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS). In that role, Vitug was responsible for processing benefits applications, determining eligibility, and issuing benefits. During the time of her employment, Vitug exploited her position in order to unlawfully re-apply for Cash Assistance Program (CAP) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in the names of beneficiaries who had left Guam or terminated their participation in the programs.
“Taxpayers deserve accountability for funding that supports public programs,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Vitug’s corrupt conduct deprived the SNAP program of important resources. I applaud the efforts of law enforcement in bringing her to justice.”
“Ms. Vitug abused her position of trust to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds meant to help low-income families put food on the table,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David K. Porter. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain dedicated to protecting these programs, and we will pursue these investigations at all levels.”
This investigation was conducted by Guam DPHSS Investigation & Recovery Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin K. Petersburg prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.
Department of Justice Wins Significant Remedies Against GoogleRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division won significant remedies in its monopolization case against Google in online search. In United States et al. v. Google, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia prohibited Google from entering or maintaining exclusive contracts relating to the distribution of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app; ordered Google to make certain search index and user-interaction data available to rivals and potential rivals; and ordered Google to offer search and search text ads syndication services to enable rivals and potential rivals to compete.
The court’s ruling today recognizes the need for remedies that will pry open the market for general search services, which has been frozen in place for over a decade. The ruling also recognizes the need to prevent Google from using the same anticompetitive tactics for its GenAI products as it used to monopolize the search market, and the remedies will reach GenAI technologies and companies.
“This decision marks an important step forward in the Department of Justice’s ongoing fight to protect American consumers. Under President Trump’s leadership, we will continue our legal efforts to hold companies accountable for monopolistic practices,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“The first Trump administration sued Google to restore competition for millions of Americans subjected to Google’s monopoly abuses. Today, the second Trump administration has won a remedy to do just that,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We will continue to review the opinion to consider the Department’s options and next steps regarding seeking additional relief. I am immensely proud of the dedicated public servants of the Antitrust Division and their tireless work on this case alongside our state partners.”
Filed in President Trump’s first term, the Justice Department’s case against the Google search monopoly has unified the country. The Department’s original filing in October 2020 was joined by eleven State Attorneys General. Additional states filed a related action as the case progressed, and ultimately, the United States was joined in pursuing the remedies ordered today by 49 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia.
Under the remedies ordered today, Google will be barred from entering or maintaining exclusive contracts relating to the distribution of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app. Google cannot enter or maintain agreements that (1) condition the licensing of any Google application on the distribution, preloading, or placement of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini app anywhere on a device; (2) condition the receipt of revenue share payments for the placement of one Google application on the placement of another Google application; or (3) condition the receipt of revenue share payments on maintaining Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini app on any device, browser, or search access point for more than one year; or (4) prohibit any partner from simultaneously distributing any other GSE, browser, or GenAI product.
In addition, Google will have to make certain search index and user-interaction data available to certain competitors. Google will also be required to offer certain competitors search and search text ads syndication services, which will open up the market by enabling rivals and potential rivals to deliver high-quality search results and ads and compete with Google as they develop their own capacity.
For years, Google accounted for approximately 90 percent of all search queries in the United States, and Google used anticompetitive tactics to maintain and extend its monopolies in search and search advertising. Google entered into a series of exclusionary agreements that collectively locked up the primary avenues through which users access online search, requiring that Google be the preset default general search engine on billions of mobile devices and computers and, in many cases, prohibiting preinstallation of a competitor. Using its monopoly profits, Google bought preferential treatment for its search engine and created a self-reinforcing cycle of monopolization — shutting out potential competitors, reducing innovation, and taking choice away from American consumers.
The Department of Justice and the states proved that Google broke the law over the course of a bench trial that started in September 2023 and lasted nine weeks. In August 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia released a 277-page opinion, concluding that “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly” in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. Today’s decision follows a 15-day remedies trial in May 2025.
U.S. Attorney and FBI hold joint press conference to announce latest efforts in disrupting drug trafficking on the Wind River ReservationRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, representing members of the Safe Trails Task Force, held a press conference today to announce the latest efforts in reducing drug trafficking and illegal guns on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Nearly 100 personnel from the FBI converged on the reservation to issue arrest warrants for dangerous criminals who are distributing drugs and possessing firearms, either in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime or by them being a criminal in possession of a firearm.
“I want to be clear. We are going scorched Earth on criminal activity on the reservation and across Wyoming,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. “There should be no doubt in your mind that if you are pedaling poison to Wyoming’s communities, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. I also want to thank the Riverton Police Department, and members of the Safe Trails Task Force, including the FBI, BIA, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Wyoming Highway Patrol, and Fremont County Sheriff’s Department for their continued efforts to reduce criminal activity on the reservation.”
"The FBI's Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force remains steadfast in its mission to crush violent crime and stop drug trafficking," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. "Together with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners, we will hold criminals fully accountable and ensure that families on the Wind River Indian Reservation and across the region can live in safety."The Safe Trails Task Force is a collaborative law enforcement effort focused on combating violent crime and drug trafficking, especially when it impacts the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes. It unites the FBI with various law enforcement agencies, including tribal police departments, state and local law enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Attachments
Video and images of the press conference can be found here: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/oL1zYqUIROSix Defendants Indicted for Commercial Drivers' License Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the August 28, 2025 indictment of six individuals for a bribery scheme that enabled drivers to obtain a commercial driver’s license (“CDL”) without undergoing any of the legally required training or testing. The indictment alleges that a local restaurant owner, MAHMOUD ALHATTAB (“ALHATTAB”), in exchange for payments from CDL applicants, bypassed each of the three main federally-mandated steps of the CDL qualification process—knowledge testing, entry-level driver training, and skills testing.
The knowledge test is a written test that must be passed at an Office of Motor Vehicles (“OMV”) office, and includes questions on vehicle safety systems, emergency situations, procedures for various maneuvers, and extreme driving conditions. Entry-level driver training is required for most CDL applicants, and includes demonstrating proficiency while operating a commercial vehicle on a public road. The skills test, which is administered by state-authorized examiners, requires performing a proper pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle control skills, and safety-related maneuvers.
To defeat the knowledge test requirement, ALHATTAB allegedly bribed two employees of a Donaldsonville, La. OMV office. These two employees, JENAY DAVIS (“DAVIS”) and SHAKIRA MILLIEN (“MILLIEN”), are accused of completing knowledge tests for applicants in exchange for payments from ALHATTAB. The indictment alleges that DAVIS and MILLIEN, when taking the applicants’ tests, performed internet searches to find the answers.
To defeat the training requirement, ALHATTAB allegedly bribed two men who operated truck driver training businesses. These two business operators, CHRISTOPHER BRYAN BURNS (“BURNS”) and JONATHAN PARSONS (“PARSONS”) are accused of reporting in a federal database that the applicants successfully completed training when, in truth, the applicants did not train.
To defeat the skills test requirement, ALHATTAB allegedly bribed BURNS and PARSONS, who, in addition to being trainers, were certified to administer the skills test. BURNS and PARSONS are accused of falsely reporting to the State of Louisiana that applicants had passed the skills test when, in truth, the applicants did not take the test. Additionally, according to the indictment, on some occasions, PARSONS paid another skills test examiner to assist in the scheme. That examiner, MARLINE ROBERTS (“ROBERTS”), is accused of creating phony score sheets to corroborate the false test reports.
All six defendants are jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. ALHATTAB and PARSONS are each charged with two counts of honest services wire fraud. BURNS, DAVIS, and ROBERTS are each charged with one count of honest services wire fraud. ALHATTAB, MILLIEN, and PARSONS are each charged with four counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. BURNS, DAVIS, and ROBERTS are each charged with one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
The conspiracy and wire fraud counts are each punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The bribery counts are each punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Each count may also be punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years’ supervised release following imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge, and that each defendant’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General investigated this case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson thanked the Louisiana State Office of Inspector General and Louisiana Public Safety Services for their valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Justice Department Files Motion for Summary Judgment in Challenge to New York’s “Climate Change Superfund Act”Read the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) today filed a motion for summary judgment in its challenge to the State of New York’s “Climate Change Superfund Act,” which imposes $75 billion in liability on foreign and domestic energy companies for their alleged past contributions to climate change. The complaint was filed in May, along with a complaint against the State of Vermont for its similar statute, to advance President Donald J. Trump’s executive order to protect American energy from state overreach.
As the Justice Department explains in its motion, “New York has declared war on those responsible for supplying our Nation with reliable and affordable energy, and it is trampling over federal law in the process.” Further, the motion says, “the Court should end New York’s lawless overreach by granting the United States’ motion for summary judgment, declaring the Superfund Act invalid and unenforceable, and permanently enjoining Defendants from taking any actions to implement or enforce it.”
“New York has overstepped its authority in trying to impose crippling financial penalties on the world’s largest energy providers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “Individual states have no authority to regulate nationwide and global greenhouse gas emissions. The courts must put a stop to New York’s brazen disregard of federal law, the Constitution, and binding precedent, not to mention our Nation’s energy needs.”
Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel John Adams and Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General Riley Walters of ENRD filed the motion.
Justice Department Announces Acting Director of the U.S. Trustee ProgramRead the Press Release
Attorney General Pamela Bondi has selected Ramona D. Elliott to serve as Acting Director of the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), the Justice Department announced today.
Elliott has 31 years of federal service, the majority of which has been with the USTP. Since 2011, she has served as Deputy Director and General Counsel for the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees in Washington, D.C. As the USTP’s chief legal officer, she has overseen the formulation of the USTP’s national legal policies in consumer and business cases as well as litigation strategies in significant matters before bankruptcy courts and in appeals. This includes leading the USTP’s efforts culminating in the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma LP, 144 S. Ct. 2071 (2024), holding that the Bankruptcy Code does not authorize non-consensual third-party releases. Elliott was previously Acting Director of the USTP from April 2022 to February 2023. She is the USTP’s liaison to the Judicial Conference’s Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules and a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.
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.
Departments of Justice and Homeland Security Partnering on Cross-Agency Trade Fraud Task ForceRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice launched a cross-agency Trade Fraud Task Force to bring robust enforcement against importers and other parties who seek to defraud the United States. The Task Force will augment the existing coordination mechanisms within the Department of Justice and leverage expertise from both the Civil and Criminal Divisions, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, to aggressively pursue enforcement actions against any parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. This Administration is fully committed to holding parties accountable for their attempts to undermine honest American competitors.
On Inauguration Day, President Trump issued the “America First Trade Policy,” which “promotes investment and productivity, enhances our Nation’s industrial and technological advantages, defends our economic and national security, and — above all — benefits American workers, manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, and businesses.” A critical part of the policy is ensuring compliance with trade laws, including the payment of all applicable tariffs and duties, such as antidumping and countervailing duties and Section 301 tariffs intended to level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers. This Task Force will advance the America First Trade Policy by pursuing those who violate customs laws through duty and penalty collection actions under the Tariff Act of 1930, actions under the False Claims Act, and, wherever appropriate, parallel criminal prosecutions, penalties, and seizures under Title 18’s trade fraud and conspiracy provisions.
“The President’s America First Trade Policy supports American manufacturing by ending unfair trade practices,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will coordinate with law enforcement partners to bring to justice any parties attempting to harm American workers through evasion of tariffs and other duties.”
Trade fraud not only deprives the government of vital revenue used to reinvest in America, but also threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. Fraudsters seeking to destabilize and profit off of American markets increasingly are attempting to import below-market, industry-destabilizing goods without paying lawful tariffs and duties or by smuggling prohibited items that violate intellectual property rights of American companies or are otherwise illegal. These fraudsters have harmed American manufacturers and contributed to the loss of American jobs, often with financial backing from America’s adversaries who benefit from the fraud.
“For years, nefarious importers and their co-conspirators have put law-abiding businesses in the United States at a competitive disadvantage — and cheated the American public of funds — by brazenly committing trade fraud,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. “Trade fraud is not a victimless crime, and it won’t be tolerated. The Criminal Division, led by the Fraud Section, is committed to using every available tool to hold bad actors accountable and prevent the theft of money intended to reduce the deficit and fund government programs.”
“The Civil Fraud and National Courts Sections of the Commercial Litigation Branch are integral to enforcement efforts aimed at identifying and stopping trade fraud,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brenna Jenny of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Since March of this year, the Commercial Litigation Branch has reached civil settlements to resolve allegations of improperly evaded customs duties across a wide range of products, including multi-layered wood flooring, plastic resin, extruded aluminum products, and quartz surface products. We look forward to enhanced coordination and information sharing with our law enforcement colleagues, and we welcome the vital contributions of whistleblowers who can help identify fraud schemes involving an array of imported products.”
Consistent with Executive Order 14243 aimed at “enhancing the Government’s ability to detect overpayments and fraud[,]” the Trade Fraud Task Force will work closely with its law enforcement partners at the Department of Homeland Security, specifically U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, to identify and combat trade fraud that threatens our economic and national security interests. These enhanced cooperative efforts will serve the dual purposes of a more efficient government for the taxpayer and improved enforcement and deterrent outcomes.
“With unique customs authorities, expertise, generations of experience carried forward from the legacy U.S. Customs Service, and a steadfast commitment to interagency collaboration, ICE HSI’s Global Trade Division is fully committed to partnering with the Department of Justice and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to strengthen the investigations of trade-related crimes,” said Assistant Director for Global Trade Ivan Arvelo of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. “Enforcing U.S. international trade laws is one of our agency’s top priorities, and this revitalized and expanded Trade Fraud Task Force is a significant step in the right direction. These enhanced efforts will undoubtedly add immense value to the task force and yield positive results in support domestic industry and businesses engaging in legal international commerce.”
Because American manufacturers and American workers are at the heart of this Administration’s trade policy, the Task Force welcomes referrals and cooperation from the domestic industries that are most harmed by unfair trade practices and trade fraud. Domestic industries are often best placed to spot fraud that threatens our markets and the livelihoods of American workers and their families. Referrals can be submitted to the Criminal Division’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at [email protected] using the form available here. Similarly, the Task Force encourages whistleblowers to utilize the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud. Finally, the Task Force encourages all importers and their agents to conduct thorough audits of their importing practices and voluntarily self-disclose and remediate unlawful behavior consistent with the Justice Manual §§ 4-4.112 and 9-74.120.
Circuit Court Upholds Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing ProgramRead the Press Release
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit published an opinion today upholding the Department of the Interior’s 2024-2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The program sets the number and location of offshore oil and gas lease sales that Interior will hold during the ensuing 5-year period.
In one of his first actions, President Donald J. Trump signed the Unleashing American Energy executive order. That order sets a policy “to encourage exploration and production on Federal lands and waters, including on the Outer Continental Shelf…”
“The court today upheld Interior’s critically important oil and gas leasing program on the Outer Continental Shelf,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The program plays a key part in the development of our nation’s abundant energy resources in the service of economic and national security.”
A coalition of environmental groups challenged the program, arguing that Interior failed to account for the effects of offshore oil and gas development on vulnerable communities, violated its own procedures by not modeling the effects of leasing on the endangered Rice’s whale, and inadequately assessed the potential for conflicts between oil and gas drilling and other uses of the sea and seabed. The court rejected those challenges and held that Interior’s rationale for the program was adequately supported by data and analysis and that it reasonably deferred consideration of specific potential conflicts to later stages in the offshore leasing process.
On April 18, while the case was pending, Interior announced that it would begin preparing a revised Outer Continental Shelf Program.
Attorneys with ENRD’s Appellate Section handled the case in the Court of Appeals.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation to Pay up to $40M to Resolve Criminal Charge Related to the Sale of Adulterated MicroCool Surgical GownsRead the Press Release
Note: This press release has been updated to more accurately reflect the terms of the DPA.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Kimberly-Clark), a U.S.-based multinational consumer goods and personal care company, has agreed to pay up to $40.4 million to resolve a criminal charge relating to the company’s sale of adulterated MicroCool surgical gowns.
“Kimberly-Clark betrayed the trust placed in it by consumers and healthcare providers when it chose to defraud the FDA and bring adulterated surgical gowns to market for its own financial gain,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s resolution demonstrates the Criminal Division’s unwavering commitment to holding corporations accountable when they threaten the integrity of our healthcare system. This resolution, in which the company has agreed to pay up to $40 million, sends a clear message that those who endanger patients and medical professionals will face significant criminal penalties.”
“Companies that sell medical products cannot misrepresent the safety and quality of those products,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce laws that protect patients and medical professionals.”
A criminal information filed today in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas charges Kimberly-Clark with one count of introducing adulterated surgical gowns into interstate commerce with an intent to defraud and mislead. According to court filings, a Kimberly-Clark employee conducted fraudulent testing on Kimberly-Clark’s MicroCool gowns to avoid having to submit a premarket notification to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after Kimberly-Clark made a change to the gowns. A premarket notification is meant to show FDA that a medical device is as safe and effective as an already legally marketed device. Based on the fraudulent testing, Kimberly-Clark sold the gowns after the change without a new premarket notification, marketing the gowns as providing the highest level of protection against fluid and viruses.
Under the terms of a deferred prosecution agreement filed with the criminal information, Kimberly-Clark will pay up to $40,400,000, which consists of a monetary penalty of $24,500,000, a forfeiture of profits of $3,900,000, and up to $12,000,000 in victim compensation. The deferred prosecution agreement resolves a criminal investigation into Kimberly-Clark’s sale of its adulterated MicroCool surgical gowns under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).
According to court documents, surgical gowns sold in the United States are subject to regulation by the FDA, which recognizes a system of classification set forth by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) — known as the ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard. The ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard was first established in 2003 and revised to be more rigorous in 2012. Under the standard, the highest protection level for surgical gowns — AAMI Level 4 — is reserved for gowns intended to be used in surgeries and other high-risk medical procedures on patients suspected of having infectious diseases. To establish compliance with the standard, a surgical gown needs to demonstrate blood-borne pathogen resistance in each of several critical zones, including the sleeve, by preventing fluids from penetrating the gown.
As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, Kimberly-Clark admitted that, with an intent to defraud and mislead and to avoid filing a 510(k) premarket notification with FDA for its MicroCool gowns, an employee of Kimberly-Clark directed the preparation of test samples for the surgical gowns that did not meet the requirements of AAMI Level 4 testing. Kimberly-Clark further admitted that between late 2013 and late 2014, it sold millions of adulterated MicroCool surgical gowns labeled as AAMI Level 4 after the fraudulent testing and without a new 510(k) FDA premarket notification. In total, Kimberly-Clark sold approximately $49,000,000 worth of adulterated MicroCool gowns to customers in the United States and abroad.
The deferred prosecution agreement requires Kimberly-Clark to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Justice Department, implement a compliance and ethics program, and report to the Justice Department regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures.
The government reached this resolution with Kimberly-Clark based on a number of factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense conduct and that Kimberly-Clark ceased manufacturing the surgical gowns at issue in this matter. Kimberly-Clark did not voluntarily and timely self-disclose the conduct to the department, but did receive full credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation, which included meeting requests from the government promptly, making regular factual presentations and updates to the government, and producing extensive documentation to the Offices, including documents located in foreign jurisdictions.
The criminal case was investigated by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations.
Trial Attorneys David Gunn, Max Goldman, and Amanda Kelly of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Jacob Foster, Acting Chief of the Criminal Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting health care fraud (HCF) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s HCF enforcement efforts can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections to Improve Communication Access for Incarcerated People who are Deaf or Hard of HearingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today secured an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections (NCDAC) to ensure that incarcerated individuals with hearing disabilities are provided effective communication and the opportunity to participate equally in NCDAC’s prison services, programs, and activities. NCDAC operates more than 50 prison facilities and houses more than 30,000 individuals.
The agreement resolves complaints under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) alleging that NCDAC fails to provide incarcerated individuals with hearing disabilities with sign language interpreters, hearing aids, cochlear implants, text telephones, videophones, and other auxiliary aids and services. Under the settlement agreement, NCDAC will identify and accommodate incarcerated individuals with appropriate auxiliary aids and services, as well as provide training on the ADA to staff.
“The ADA requires effective communication for incarcerated individuals with hearing disabilities so they have access to critical programs, including religious and vocational services,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to eliminating barriers, including communication barriers, that prevent individuals with disabilities from participating fully in prison programs.”
To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov.
Justice Department Opens Investigation into California Environmental Protection Agency for Discriminatory Employment PracticesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the California Environmental Protection Agency (CAL EPA), including the California Air Resources Board (CARB), to determine whether it may be engaged in employment practices that discriminate based on race, sex, color, and national origin.
In publicly available guidance documents, CAL EPA highlights “hiring, promotion and retention practices and policies” that indicate it may be using protected characteristics to “advance racial equity.” Further, CARB, a division of CAL EPA, appears to use these policies to engage in discriminatory employment practices in its “Racial Equity Framework,” which aims to advance race-based decision-making within the agency.
The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section is investigating whether the California Environmental Protection Agency is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
“Race-based employment practices and policies in America’s local and state agencies violate equal treatment under the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Agencies that unlawfully use protected characteristics as a factor in employment and hiring risk serious legal consequences.”
You can read the notice letter here.
Federal Detainee Sentenced for Possessing Contraband Inside Wyatt Detention CenterRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal detainee at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center was sentenced today on charges of conspiracy and providing and possessing contraband in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Anthony Whyte, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 12 months of incarceration. Whyte pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025.
On May 21, 2023, Whyte took possession of multiple documents from a visitor that had the appearance of having been contaminated with some sort of substance. One of the eight pages later analyzed by the FBI was determined to have been treated with synthetic cannabinoids.
Court documents reflect that Whyte arranged for the delivery of the contaminated pages during recorded telephone conversations he made from inside the Wyatt Detention Center. The papers and the manilla envelope they were contained in were seized moments after Whyte took possession of them. At the time, Whyte was detained in an unrelated criminal matter brought in the District of Connecticut.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Wyatt Detention Center Professional Standards Unit.
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California Man Charged with Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed last week in Los Angeles charging a California man with mail fraud and various tax crimes related to a tax refund fraud scheme.
The following is according to the indictment: from 2016 through 2025, Melvin Louis Hughes, also known as “Melvin Louis Huges” and “Bandele El,” of Los Angeles County, operated a scheme to file false federal tax returns claiming millions of dollars in fraudulent tax refunds. As alleged in the indictment, Hughes submitted fraudulent Forms 1041, U.S. Income Tax Returns for Estates and Trusts, for himself and others, claiming more than $360 million in fraudulent tax refunds based on fictitious federal income tax withholdings. These tax returns allegedly attached Forms 1099, which falsely reported that major banks, online payment platforms, and other legitimate businesses made payments from which substantial amounts of tax had been withheld and paid over to the IRS. In 2024 and 2025, as a further part of the scheme, Hughes allegedly filed false IRS Forms 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, which claimed more than $370 million in refunds based on false tax withholdings.
Hughes allegedly received approximately $6.2 million in tax refunds. He allegedly used the funds to purchase a $1.84 million house in Malibu, California, two Tesla automobiles, and approximately $500,000 in cryptocurrency.
Hughes also allegedly promoted this scheme to at least 17 other taxpayers, collecting various fees from them in exchange for his assistance. From at least five taxpayers, Hughes allegedly demanded 10% of the refund they received but instructed that the payment be made to Brother to Brother Outreach Trust, another purported trust he created and falsely characterized as a charitable donation. As alleged, Hughes received approximately $868,704.45 from the taxpayers who had utilized his scheme.
In total, Hughes is alleged to have caused a total tax loss to the IRS of approximately $13 million.
Hughes was charged with mail fraud, making a false claim, filing a false tax return, and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of making false claims for refund, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing false tax returns, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns. A federal 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 Attorneys Patrick Burns and Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Man Pleads Guilty for Role in $15.9M COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) out of $15.9 million in loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs.
“The defendant orchestrated a scheme where he worked with purported business owners to submit dozens of loan applications to steal millions of dollars of Covid-19 relief funds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant’s egregious scheme relied on layers of deception to steal taxpayer money to buy himself luxury vehicles, residential properties, and jewelry. The Criminal Division remains dedicated to holding fraudsters who steal from the public fisc to account for their greed.”
“The defendant in this case fraudulently obtained $15.9 million from federal funding programs intended to provide government relief to businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and instead diverted vital relief funds for his own personal benefit,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office. “IRS-CI is proud to partner with our federal law enforcement organizations to investigate and ensure relief funds are spent in accordance with their original intended purposes."
“Exploiting pandemic relief meant for struggling Americans is not only morally reprehensible, it’s a betrayal of public trust,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This defendant orchestrated a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, weaponizing federal COVID-19 assistance programs for his personal gain. The FBI will always work to make sure those who steal from programs designed to help others are held accountable.”
“The defendant in this case submitted dozens of fraudulent loan applications to obtain millions of dollars from government programs designed to assist struggling businesses during the pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), New York Region. “Today's guilty plea brings him to justice. The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who stole from COVID-19 relief programs in order to enrich themselves, and threatened the stability of our Nation's financial system.”
“Providing false information to gain access to SBA programs intended for disaster victims is unacceptable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Huang of the Small Business Association Office of Inspector General’s (SBA-OIG) Western Region. “OIG is focused on rooting out bad actors in these vital SBA programs. I want to thank the Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
According to court documents, from April 2020 to April 2022, Emanuel Tucker, 45, of Canyon Lake, California, and other co-conspirators, submitted several dozen fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications on behalf of various companies that he owned and controlled. These applications contained material misrepresentations about the companies, including the number of employees, average monthly payroll, gross revenue, cost of goods, and supporting documents. The defendant used the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase a variety of luxury items, such as a Cadillac Escalade, a Bently Continental, and a Ferrari F8 Tributo, multiple million-dollar houses, and various jewelry, including a $63,000 diamond ring and a $400,000 diamond necklace.
Tucker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Tucker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 4. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The IRS-CI, FBI, SBA-OIG, FDIC OIG, Federal Reserve Board Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Department of Energy Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Siji Moore and Kashan Pathan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
Ohio Siblings Sentenced for Laundering $784,045 in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
An Ohio brother and sister were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in collecting drug proceeds in the United States and laundering those funds, or their equivalent value, back to Mexico on behalf of a cartel.
According to court documents, Christopher Grover Reynolds, 52, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced to over six years in prison, and his sister, Claudette Reynolds, 51, of Toledo, was sentenced to two years in prison for their participation in a money laundering conspiracy. They were both sentenced to three years of supervised release.
“The defendants helped Mexican drug traffickers collect and disguise the profits from selling methamphetamine and fentanyl in Toledo,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their money laundering activities fueled the importation of dangerous drugs into the Midwest. This prosecution reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to staunch the flow of cash to cartels and protect communities from the devastating consequences of drug trafficking.”
“Money launderers like the Reynolds are critical links in the cartel’s drug trafficking chain,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey. “We are grateful for the tireless efforts of our law enforcement partners in working to disrupt and dismantle that chain.”
“Every dollar they laundered was done so on the backs of overdose victims and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “By acting as the cartel’s bankers, these siblings helped fuel the fentanyl and meth crisis tearing through Ohio. DEA will hunt down anyone who dares to wash cartel money — because if you launder blood money for drug traffickers, you will face justice alongside them.”
According to court documents, Christopher Reynolds collected proceeds from the sale of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana in Toledo and notified a Mexico-based cartel that the funds were ready for laundering and transfer to Mexico. On six occasions, Reynolds personally delivered the money – totaling $784,045 – or enlisted his sister to do so. The money was later transferred to Mexico via cryptocurrency.
A search of Christopher Reynolds’s residence and a traffic stop of Claudette Reynolds led to a seizure of $184,415 in bulk cash, several pounds of marijuana, counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl, two firearms (a .40 caliber pistol and an AR-15 rifle), and a money counting machine.
The DEA Lexington Resident Office investigated the case, working closely with the Detroit Field Division and Rocky Mountain Field Division and assisted by DEA offices in Mexico, Toledo, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Birmingham, Chicago, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Baltimore, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Portland, Columbia, and Rapid City, with the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Deputy Criminal Chief Gary Todd Bradbury of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecuted this case.
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 other transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Last of Eight Individuals Sentenced for Scheme to Defraud over $17M in COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Frederick Smith, 56, of Cordova, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday for his role in an eight-defendant scheme to defraud COVID-19 disaster relief programs (including the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of over $17 million. All eight defendants previously pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and have now been sentenced to a total of 96 months in prison and 45 months of home detention.
Details of the sentencings are below:
- Rodrick Flowers, 49, of Memphis, Tennessee, 58 months in prison;
- Frederick Smith, 56, of Cordova, Tennessee, 23 months in prison;
- Jarvys Jones, 40, of West Memphis, Arkansas, 12 months in prison;
- Mary Payne, 63, of Memphis, Tennessee, six months in prison, followed by five months of community confinement, followed by five months of home detention;
- Cleveland Wells, 67, of Memphis, Tennessee, one month in prison, followed by five months of home detention;
- LaTonya Herman, 46, of Memphis, Tennessee, one month in prison, followed by five months of home detention;
- Brian Mays, 41, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, 18 months of home detention; and
- Krystall Sherrod, 36, of Memphis, Tennessee, 12 months of home detention.
According to court documents, the defendants obtained funds under the EIDL program and PPP by submitting false and fraudulent loan applications prepared by Flowers and others on behalf of businesses and entities that the defendants owned, knowing that the applications contained false statements and misrepresentations about the entities’ number of employees, gross revenues, average monthly payroll, and more. The defendants then used the loan funds for purposes not authorized by the EIDL program or PPP, including for personal expenses.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Joel Weaver of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); Special Agent in Charge Edwin S. Bonano of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Karston Gaardner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Dallas Regional Office made the announcement.
TIGTA, FHFA-OIG, and FDIC-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner, David Hamstra, and Matthew Kahn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Illinois Doctor Sentenced to 34 Months in Prison for Evading $1.6M in Taxes and Committing Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
An Illinois doctor was sentenced today to 34 months in prison for committing health care fraud and for hiding assets and lying to the IRS about his ability to pay approximately $1.6 million in taxes, penalties, and interest.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: from approximately 2011 to 2017, Krishnaswami Sriram, of Lake Forest, Illinois, evaded payment of approximately $1.6 million he owed to the IRS. Among other evasive steps, Sriram transferred ownership, in name only, of two rental properties to his children without their knowledge while he continued to receive income from the properties. He also transferred approximately $700,000 from bank accounts he controlled in the United States to accounts in India. To fraudulently reduce the money he owed, Sriram submitted documents to the IRS as part of an offer-in-compromise that omitted an investment account in the United States, bank and investment accounts in India, and ownership of the rental properties. In total, Sriram caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $1.6 million.
Between 2012 and 2022, Sriram also caused false Medicare billings to be submitted for episodes of in-home physician care that did not occur. Specifically, Sriram claimed to provide care for Medicare beneficiaries on dates when those individuals were either deceased or resided at inpatient facilities other than their homes. Sriram’s false statements in medical records relating to these episodes of care resulted in $136,980.36 in false billings to Medicare.
In addition to his prison sentence, the court ordered Sriram to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $1.7 million in restitution to the United States.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara E. Henderson for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case with assistance from former Trial Attorney Victor Yanz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Former New York City Department of Education Business Manager Sentenced in Bid Rigging SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of a New York-based budget and procurement consulting company was sentenced today to six months in prison for rigging bids submitted to dozens of New York City public schools. The defendant and his company were also ordered to pay $141,511 in restitution to the victim, the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE).
Victor A Garrido of Peekskill, New York, and his company, TranscendBS LLC, pleaded guilty on March 19 to rigging bids to NYC DOE from at least as early as November 2020 through at least as late as January 2023. In his plea agreement, Garrido also admitted to fraudulently obtaining over $20,000 in COVID-19 relief unemployment benefits and to failing to file and pay federal or state income taxes for himself or for his company for tax years 2020 to 2023.
“The Defendant stole money from public school students, and taxpayers more generally, all for his own selfish gain,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its PCSF partners will aggressively prosecute and hold accountable those who defraud American students and the American taxpayer.”
“Let today’s sentence be a warning to those who attempt to cheat the system. You will be held accountable,” said FBI Operations Director Chad Yarbrough of the Criminal Cyber Branch. “The FBI has zero tolerance for those who attempt to rig the system to benefit themselves, inflicting lasting harm on our communities and undermining the principles of fair competition.”
“Bid-rigging with school contracts is thoroughly unacceptable, as it deprives the school district of vital funds and students of a supportive learning environment — and it is a crime that SCI will continue to tirelessly root out,” said Special Commissioner of Investigation Anatasia Coleman of the Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the NYC School District. “SCI is grateful for its continued partnership with the DOJ Antitrust Division and the FBI in bringing this case to justice.”
“Victor Garrido defrauded the New York State Department of Labor by illegally obtaining pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits. This sentencing underscores the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General's unwavering commitment to safeguard the American workplace from fraud and corruption,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General Northeast Region. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who engage in these criminal activities within our jurisdiction”
According to court documents, Garrido was previously employed by NYC DOE as a business manager where he provided budget and procurement guidance and training to various schools. Shortly after leaving that role, Garrido formed TranscendBS to provide similar services as a consultant to New York City public schools. During the scheme, Garrido, TranscendBS, and their co-conspirators submitted fake, artificially high “competitor” bids to make it appear as if TranscendBS was the lowest bidder for dozens of business consulting services contracts. None of the “competing” bidders actually provided these services. In addition to thwarting NYC DOE’s procurement rules to ensure that TranscendBS obtained the contracts, Garrido priced his services to just under the threshold which would have required additional scrutiny.
The scheme impacted approximately 28 New York City public schools, predominantly in low-income communities. TranscendBS won at least $707,555 in contracts from those schools, resulting in estimated losses to NYC DOE of $141,511.
In connection with his unemployment benefit fraud, Garrido was also ordered to pay $23,100 in restitution to the New York State Department of Labor.
The Antitrust Division’s New York Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor. Trial Attorneys Helen Christodoulou, Kathryn Carpenter, and Maia Lichtenstein are prosecuting the case.
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.
Justice Department and National Economic Council Partner to Identify State Laws with Out-Of-State Economic ImpactsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department and the National Economic Council announce an effort to identify State laws that significantly and adversely affect the national economy or interstate economic activity and to solicit solutions to address such effects. They invite public comments to support the Administration’s mission to address laws that hinder America’s economic growth, including those that burden industry and our small businesses.
From his first day in office, President Trump and his Administration have prioritized eliminating the “crushing regulatory burden” that has “made necessary goods and services scarce.” Deregulatory efforts will boost the American economy, relieve Americans of undue burdens, and make America affordable and energy dominant again. President Trump issued multiple Executive Orders to advance his deregulatory agenda and requiring the Executive Branch to put that policy into action. On January 31, President Trump signed Executive Order 14192 declaring “the policy of the executive branch” to be that federal agencies should “alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people.” Consistent with this policy, on February 19, President Trump signed Executive Order 14219 directing agencies to “initiate a process to review all regulations” and identify regulations that, among other things, “impose undue burdens on small businesses and impede private enterprise and entrepreneurship.” He also signed Executive Orders aimed at unleashing American Energy, rolling back Obama-era regulations micro-managing Americans’ showers, and tackling anti-competitive rules.
Federal regulatory burdens are only part of the story. As President Trump has also recognized, in Executive Order 14260, State-level practices can drive up nationwide costs and undermine American safety and “Federalism by projecting the regulatory preferences of a few States into all States.” Anecdotal evidence and the experience of countless Americans across the country strongly suggest that State laws and regulations can significantly burden commerce in other States, raising costs unnecessarily and harming markets nationwide. For example, last month, the Department sued the State of California, Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and other State officials over California laws that impose costly requirements on the production of eggs and poultry products, raising prices for American consumers in and outside of California.
The public is invited to provide input to aid the Administration’s efforts as set forth in the above-discussed Executive Orders and elsewhere to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens and costs imposed on the American people. This request for comments seeks information pertaining to State laws, regulations, causes of action, policies, and practices (collectively, State laws) that adversely affect interstate commerce and business activities in other States. In particular, comments are invited on:
Which State laws significantly burden commerce in other States or between States, thus raising costs unnecessarily and harming markets nationwide.
Whether the State laws identified may be preempted by existing federal authority and, if so, what authority.
Whether there may be federal legislative or regulatory means for addressing the State laws or regulations identified or the burdens they cause.
Which federal agency has the subject-matter expertise to address concerns lawfully within the federal government’s authority.
The public will have 30 days to submit comments at Regulations.gov (OLP182; Docket No. DOJ-OLP-2025-0169), no later than September 15, 2025. Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov. All interested parties are invited to provide comments in response to this inquiry, including consumers, consumer advocates, small businesses, employers, trade groups, industry analysts, States, and other entities that are impacted by State laws that have nationwide or interstate economic effects.
Justice Department Sues California to End Enforcement of Unlawful Emissions Standards for TrucksRead the Press Release
Note: View EDCA complaint here. View EDCA motion to intervene memo here.
View NDIL complaint here. View NDIL motion to intervene memo here.
The Justice Department this week filed two complaints in federal courts against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regarding the State’s enforcement of preempted emissions standards through its so-called “Clean Truck Partnership” with heavy-duty truck and engine manufacturers. A parallel filing in the court of appeals addresses CARB’s rules for light-duty vehicles, which are also preempted. These actions advance President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to end the electric vehicle (EV) mandate, level the regulatory playing field, and promote consumer choice in motor vehicles.
The Clean Air Act preempts state regulation of vehicle emissions unless the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants California a preemption waiver. Under the Biden administration, EPA granted preemption waivers for two CARB regulations imposing stringent emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks. The goal of CARB’s regulations is to implement an EV mandate in California and in other states that adopt California’s rules.
In June 2025, President Trump signed into law congressional resolutions under the Congressional Review Act, invalidating EPA’s preemption waivers for CARB’s heavy-duty truck regulations. Without these waivers, the Clean Air Act prohibits CARB from attempting to enforce those regulations. Yet, in an affront to the rule of law, CARB seeks to circumvent that prohibition by enforcing the preempted emissions standards through the Clean Truck Partnership. The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) filed the complaints with motions to intervene in pending cases in the Eastern District of California and Northern District of Illinois.
“Agreement, contract, partnership, mandate — whatever California wants to call it, this unlawful action attempts to undermine federal law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “President Donald Trump and Congress have invalidated the Clean Air Act waivers that were the basis for California’s actions. CARB must respect the democratic process and stop enforcing unlawful standards.”
In related actions, ENRD moved to dismiss as moot two sets of cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit where industry groups had challenged EPA’s preemption waivers for cars. Those cases are now moot because Congress’s joint resolutions nullified the controversial preemption waivers.
ENRD is responsible for bringing cases against those who violate the nation’s environmental laws, as well as defending the federal government in litigation arising under a broad range of environmental statutes. The division is the nation’s environmental lawyer, and the largest environmental law firm in the country.
Chief of Staff and Senior General Counsel John Adams and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Robert Stander of ENRD filed the complaints, and attorneys with ENRD’s Appellate section are handling the cases in the Ninth Circuit. The EPA is a co-plaintiff in the filings. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Illinois and the Eastern District of California also provided assistance.
Complaint in Intervention - EDCA.pdf Memo Motion Intervene - EDCA.pdf Complaint in Intervention - NDIL.pdf Memo Motion Intervene - NDIL.pdfJustice Department Files Statement of Interest in New Hampshire Case Shielding Small Businesses from Being Forced to Provide Medical Coverage for Gender DysphoriaRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department filed a Statement of Interest in Bernier v. Turbocam et al. (D.N.H.), informing the court that the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act do not require employers to provide insurance coverage for gender dysphoria, and that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects businesses and individuals from forced coverage when it would violate their religious beliefs. Small businesses and people of faith should not be required to pay for insurance plans to employees covering cosmetic procedures and services that are not required to treat a disability under the law.
“This Civil Rights Division will consistently protect religious liberty for all Americans, including small business owners who should not be required to pay for claimed gender dysphoria,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “The Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects sincere religious beliefs, and neither the ADA nor the Civil Rights Act requires American businesses to pay for such elective procedures.”
“In matters like this, our responsibility is to ensure that federal statutes and regulations are applied faithfully and consistently,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire. “We will continue to uphold the rule of law and work to provide clarity on how these laws operate so that individuals and businesses can rely on them with confidence.”
In Bernier v. Turbocam, et al. (D. N.H.) (1:23-cv-00523), a male plaintiff sued his employer, a closely held, private small business, alleging that the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act require Turbocam Inc. to provide insurance plans to cover his elective treatment. The Department of Justice maintains an interest in proper interpretation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Civil Rights Division within the Department enforces provisions within the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act.
The Civil Rights Division enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are a business owner, employer, or religious individual and feel you have been wrongfully sued or improperly required to pay for gender dysphoria or transgender surgeries or other procedures, please contact the Civil Rights Division by telephone at 1-800-253-3931, or submit a complaint through civilrights.justice.gov.
Georgia Man Convicted for $16M COVID-19 Unemployment FraudRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Albany, Georgia, convicted a Georgia man today for his participation in a scheme to defraud the Georgia Department of Labor (GaDOL) out of millions of dollars in benefits meant to assist unemployed individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The defendant and his co-conspirators orchestrated a scheme where they used stolen identities to submit fraudulent unemployment claims in order to steal millions of dollars of funds intended for the benefit of unemployed Americans,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Such schemes are all too common, but the Criminal Division is resolved to bring to justice fraudsters who seek to enrich themselves from the public fisc.”
“This trial conviction underlines our dedication and steadfast commitment to holding individuals accountable who exploit federal relief programs for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “As proven in this case, our criminal investigators along with our law enforcement partners will work together and diligently pursue anyone who attempts to exploit programs created to help legitimate people and businesses affected by the global pandemic.”
“Malcolm Jeffery and his co-conspirators helped themselves to money earmarked for unemployed Georgia residents already struggling during the pandemic,” said Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Atlanta Division. “Not only is he responsible for the depletion of that program’s funds, but he used stolen personal information to commit the fraud. Postal Inspectors want criminals to know, we are committed to investigating these cases and working with our partners to make sure they feel the full weight of the law. These crimes will not go unanswered.”
“Malcolm Jeffrey engaged in a scheme with his co-defendants to defraud the Georgia Department of Labor by filing numerous fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in the names of identity theft victims and other individuals who were not entitled to such benefits," said Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) Southeast Region. "The claims were filed through a fictitious employer account that Jeffrey created in the name of his business, resulting in substantial losses to the program. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Unemployment Insurance program.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Malcolm Jeffrey, 34, of Cordele, Georgia, and his co-conspirators, caused more than approximately 7,000 fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims to be filed with the GaDOL, resulting in more than $16 million in stolen benefits.
To execute the scheme, Jeffrey and his co-conspirators fabricated lists of purported employees using personally identifiable information from hundreds of identity theft victims and filed fraudulent UI claims on the GaDOL website under his defunct business, Down N Dirty Transportation LLC (Down N Dirty). After Jeffrey opened an account to file UI claims through GaDOL’s website for Down N Dirty’s purported employees, thousands of claims were submitted through his employer account, which caused more than $16 million in fraudulent UI benefits to be disbursed. The stolen UI funds were then distributed to Jeffrey and his co-conspirators via prepaid debit cards mailed to various locations in the vicinity of Cordele.
The jury convicted Jeffrey of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, USPS-OIG, USPIS, USSS, HSI, and DHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Lyndie Freeman, Siji Moore, and Kyle Crawford of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Four-Time Convicted Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Dealing Cocaine and FentanylRead the Press Release
Atlanta – Mekael Desean Daniels, who has three prior federal drug trafficking convictions, will serve a 292-month prison sentence following his conviction for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. At the time of his arrest, Daniels was storing 110 kilograms of cocaine and 62 grams of fentanyl at a Buckhead-area condominium building and was attempting to deliver $600,000 of drug proceeds to money launderers working on behalf of a transnational drug trafficking organization.
“Despite three prior federal convictions for drug trafficking, Daniels continued to distribute vast quantities of narcotics in our community and attempted to launder drug money,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to the determined investigative work of our law enforcement partners, Daniels’s 24-year prison sentence should finally end his criminal career and serves as a stern warning to others who push deadly fentanyl and cocaine.”
“Career criminals who traffic drugs show no regard for the devastation they leave behind,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Let this case serve as a clear warning: drug traffickers can no longer operate with impunity.”
“Daniels was a repeat offender fueling the flow of deadly drugs into our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our partners will continue to dismantle these networks and hold traffickers accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2022, Daniels and others conspired to transport cocaine and fentanyl from Mexico to Atlanta, Georgia. Daniels operated a stash house in a condominium building in Buckhead, which he used to supply his network with large amounts of cocaine. At the time of his arrest on December 9, 2022, Daniels was storing 110 kilograms of cocaine that had recently arrived by tractor-trailer from Mexico. Agents also found in his condominium unit 62 grams of fentanyl pressed into pills with the marking for oxycodone, approximately $66,000 in drug proceeds, and a drug ledger documenting $500,000 in transactions. In the condominium garage, agents searched a car linked to Daniels, where they found a bag containing $500,000 and a shoebox containing $100,000, which were proceeds of recent cocaine sales in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
This is Daniels’s fourth federal drug trafficking conviction in this district after prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine in 1995 and 2000 and for possession with intent to distribute heroin in 2012. As part of his 2000 case, Daniels was also convicted of possessing a firearm while he was a convicted felon. Daniels engaged in the drug trafficking conspiracy charged in this case one year after his release from federal prison for his 2012 conviction.
Earlier today, United States District Judge Steven D. Grimberg sentenced Daniels, 55, of Dallas, Georgia, to serve 24 years, 4 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime sentence of supervised release. Daniels was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl on March 27, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth M. Hathaway and Austin M. Hall, and former Assistant United States Attorney Joshua May, prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
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.
Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearms Possession and Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Daniel Thomas Sanchez, age 36, from Dededo, Guam was sentenced in the U.S. District Court of Guam to 63 months imprisonment for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered three years of supervised release and a mandatory $300 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On October 13, 2023, officers with the Guam Police Department (GPD) approached Daniel Thomas Sanchez’s residence to investigate a report of criminal activity. Officers discovered Sanchez asleep in a running vehicle parked in his driveway. Officers also observed a 12-gauge shotgun next to him. The gun was seized and found to be loaded.
On March 5, 2024, GPD officers observed Sanchez in the backseat of a vehicle during a routine traffic stop. Sanchez made furtive movements toward his feet, which resulted in his removal from the vehicle. Officers then saw the grip of a revolver protruding from a tennis shoe where Sanchez had been sitting. Following a detailed search of the vehicle, officers recovered approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine, various drug paraphernalia, cash, multiple loaded firearms, and ammunition. Sanchez admitted to selling a small amount of methamphetamine earlier that day. Further investigation led to the discovery of another loaded firearm at Sanchez’s residence. Sanchez was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to his felony criminal history, including convictions for family violence and aggravated assault.
“Armed felons and unlawful drug users are grave dangers to our communities,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Federal law prohibits the possession of firearms and ammunition by such individuals. The Department of Justice will continue to prioritize these prosecutions to prevent violent crime.”
“Drug trafficking and the illegal possession of firearms will not be tolerated in our communities. ATF and its partners in law enforcement are dedicated to safeguarding our citizens, and we will continue to relentlessly pursue these criminals with every resource available,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Those who choose to traffic drugs and illegally possess firearms will be held accountable for the harm they cause our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Guam Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Devarup Rastogi prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.
Arizona CEO Indicted for Embezzling over $2.4M from Employee Benefit PlansRead the Press Release
An indictment unsealed today in the District of Maryland charges an Arizona man with embezzling more than $2.4 million from an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) benefit plan and related money laundering offenses.
According to court documents, James Vincent Campbell, 47, of Scottsdale, Arizona, is CEO and founder of Axim Fringe Solutions Group, LLC (Axim), a company that processes employee benefits for employees of federal contractors. At the time of the alleged thefts, the company was headquartered in Maryland.
The indictment alleges Axim’s clients sent funds to the company to pay for health insurance premiums and 401(k) retirement contributions. Axim was responsible for forwarding those funds to insurance carriers and retirement accounts, charging clients a contractual fee of $40 per employee per month for its services.
Before forwarding the funds, Campbell allegedly pooled them in a master trust account. Between 2015 and 2024, he made 135 unauthorized withdrawals – totaling $2,486,905 – beyond the legitimate fees owed to Axim. Campbell used a significant portion of the stolen funds for personal expenses including big game hunting trips in Alaska, Africa, and other locations; taxidermy fees; jewelry; casino gambling; and direct payments to his girlfriend.
The indictment charges Campbell with a single count of theft from an ERISA plan and eleven counts of money laundering.
If convicted, Campbell faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for each count of money laundering and up to five years for theft from an ERISA plan. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Assistant Secretary Janet Dhillon of the Labor Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration made the announcement.
The Employments Benefits Security Administration of the Labor Department is investigating the case, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Investigative Operations Section.
Trial Attorneys Vincent Falvo and Jared Hernandez of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.