District Not Recorded
The source did not name an office we could identify. These records remain unassigned rather than guessed.
Former Air Force Reservist Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Attempted Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
Hagatña – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces that, Richard Jay Ais Solang, age 46, from Dededo, Guam, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment in the U.S. District Court of Guam for Attempted Enticement of a Minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory assessment fee. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Solang must register in every jurisdiction he resides, works, and goes to school.
On May 2, 2024, Solang, using the screen name “AAFB Throater 99” began communicating with an undercover agent on Grindr, a social media application. Solang stated he was interested in having sexual contact with the undercover. On May 9, 2024, the undercover indicated he was a 13-year-old male. Solang attempted to gain the alleged minor’s trust by telling him about a sexual experience he had with a 15-year-old in a restroom. He claimed to have also met that minor on Grindr. Solang traveled to Andersen Air Force Base to perform oral sex on the minor. He was arrested at a pre-arranged rendezvous point by special agents with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Solang was interviewed by Homeland Security Investigations special agents and confessed to his actions.
Prior to Solang’s arrest, he was an Air Force Reservist, a civilian with Andersen Air Force Base passenger terminal, and also employed by the Mayor’s Council of Guam.
“Our efforts to combat child predators will not stop,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “The welfare of our children remains a cornerstone of community safety. This case serves as a reminder to all parents and guardians to be alert for online threats to their families. I encourage them to promptly report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
“The sentencing of former Air Force reservist Mr. Solang for attempted sexual misconduct with a minor underscores HSI’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable of our community,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “HSI has zero tolerance for the abuse of minors and will spare no effort in securing justice for these most heinous crimes.”
Investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and Air Force Office of Special Investigations Service, Detachment 602.
This case was prosecuted by Devarup Rastogi, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Drug Supplier Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Alejandro Manuel B. Gagarin, aka Alex, age 31, from Inarajan, Guam was sentenced on April 24, 2025, to serve 12 months and 1 day imprisonment. He was charged in the U.S. District Court of Guam with Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. The Court also ordered five years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
Between March 2021 through April 2022, Alejandro Manuel B. Gagarin conspired with Timothy Jerome Concepcion, a person identified as I.M.C., Jacob Vance Manibusan, and other persons to distribute more than 50 grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride. The drug distribution occurred at hotel rooms rented from a local resort hotel. Gagarin and his co-defendant Manibusan rented out two hotel rooms. Gagarin then greeted customers in the lobby of the hotel and escorted them to the hotel room for the drug transactions. After receiving the methamphetamine from Gagarin, the customers would stay in the hotel room and smoke methamphetamine with Concepcion. The customers would pay Gagarin for the drug, he would in turn return the proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine to Concepcion.
Co-conspirators:
Timothy Jerome Concepcion, age 26, was sentenced on February 7, 2024, to 120 months imprisonment and 5 years supervised release. He pled guilty for Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine and Using and Carrying a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Jacob Vance Manibusan aka Kadi, age 36, was sentenced on April 3, 2024, to 70 months imprisonment and 4 years supervised release. He pled guilty for Conspiracy to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine.
“Minor participants in federal drug crimes will not walk away without penalties,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Considering the effects of methamphetamine on our communities, those with any role in drug trafficking are potential targets for prosecution. The public rightly demands accountability for this unlawful conduct.”
"The sentencing of Mr. Gagarin is a testament to HSI's zero tolerance for those who engage in drug trafficking in Guam," said Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. "HSI will aggressively pursue those, like Gagarin, who facilitate the infiltration of harmful substances into our communities."
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Rosetta L. San Nicolas, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Retired Police Officer Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant, John T. Mantanona, age 67, was sentenced by designated Senior District Judge John C. Coughenour in the District Court of Guam to 60 months imprisonment for Obstructing Justice by Endeavoring to Influence a Juror, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1503. The Court also ordered two years of supervised release, a $30,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
From October 12, 2018, through November 13, 2018, Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood conducted a federal jury trial in the criminal case of United States v. Raymond Martinez and Juanita Moser, 15-CR-00031. Mantanona was retired from the Guam Police Department, including work as an FBI task force officer. Martinez and Moser hired him as an investigator during the trial. Mantanona tried to influence Gregorio Tyquiengco while Tyquiengco served as a juror in the case. During the trial, and prior to jury deliberations, Mantanona contacted Tyquiengco to discuss what verdict Tyquiengco would render and to influence him to vote “NG” (not guilty) despite the evidence against Martinez and Moser. Mantanona also wanted Tyquiengco to persuade other jurors to do the same, with the intent to cause a hung jury and mistrial. A mistrial was declared on November 13, 2018. Mantanona met with Tyquiengco and gave him $1,000, in addition to $100 afterward.
Tyquiengco pled guilty to Contempt of Court, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 401(3). He was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment and one year of supervised release. Tyquiengco was also ordered to reimburse the district court for any money he received for serving as a federal juror.
William Topasna Mantanona pled guilty to False Statement to Government Agent, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). During a wiretapped telephone conversation, he communicated with his brother, John T. Mantanona, to facilitate the above-described scheme. He later falsely denied this conduct during an investigative interview with a special agent from Homeland Security Investigations. On August 26, 2021, the district court sentenced William Topasna Mantanona to six months imprisonment, two years of supervised release, and a mandatory $5,000 fine.
“The public should have faith in our justice system, which includes fair and impartial court proceedings. Mantanona violated this fundamental concept of trial by jury. The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who obstruct justice," stated United States Attorney Anderson. "I applaud our law enforcement partners for pursuing an investigation beyond the initial crimes by Martinez and Moser.”
"Great trust is placed in those who call law enforcement their mission," said Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. "Violating that trust by working to dilute the integrity of our judicial process is a complete betrayal of that mission and brings down every person who seeks to serve the public. This sentence sends a clear message to those currently in or retired from law enforcement that if you break that trust, there will be consequences."
“The FBI’s anti-corruption work remains one of our highest priorities. Those who criminally influence jurors and their deliberations through bribery strike at the very foundation of our criminal justice system,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Mr. Mantanona tampered with the integrity of our legal process, and in so doing, attempted to deny our community the justice it deserves. As reflected by this investigation, the FBI is committed to protecting our legal system and will bring to justice those who act to corrupt it.”
“While this conviction is for obstructing justice, this is a direct result of a firearms trafficking case from a number of years ago in which we seized more than $1.2 million in cash, $2 million more in additional seizures, and 67 firearms,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “It’s discouraging to see that a retired law enforcement officer was involved in these illegal actions, but we are glad to see the passing of this sentence.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorney Rosetta L. San Nicolas prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Founder and Former CEO of Biscayne Capital Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for $130M Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Roberto Gustavo Cortes Ripalda (Cortes), 58, the co-founder, co-owner, and CEO of international advisory firm Biscayne Capital, was sentenced earlier today in Brooklyn, New York to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Cortes pleaded guilty to the charge in September 2023. Cortes was also ordered to pay $3.4 million in forfeiture and $103million in restitution to over 110 victims.
“For more than five years, Roberto Cortes and his co-conspirators ran Biscayne Capital as a Ponzi scheme, lying to investors — including the defendant’s own friends and family members — and ultimately causing more than $155 million in investor losses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The sentence will hold Cortes accountable for his years of lies and deception. Thank you to our partners for their hard work and collaboration to achieve this result.”
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Roberto Cortes’s criminal conduct in orchestrating a years-long scheme with his co-conspirators to prop up a failing business while defrauding Biscayne Capital investors and clients around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “Using illegal Ponzi payments to their victims, Cortes and his co-conspirators were able to disguise and perpetuate this scheme for years until Biscayne Capital finally collapsed under the defendants’ lies. Today’s sentence demonstrates our Office’s commitment to holding accountable investment professionals who abuse the trust of their clients for personal profit.”
“Regardless of the complexity of the investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents and our law enforcement partners will utilize their skills and unique authorities to hold bad actors like the defendant accountable,” stated IRS-CI Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter. “This was a brazen scheme of staggering proportions. Mr. Cortes and his co-conspirators prioritized their own greed, stealing $155 million from investors. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that we remain vigilant and will vigorously pursue those who attempt to enrich themselves through fraudulent means.”
According to court filings, Cortes and his co-defendant Ernesto Heraclito Weisson Pazmino (Weisson) founded Biscayne Capital in 2005 to support the financing of South Bay, their real estate development business focused on acquiring and demolishing properties to build luxury homes. After South Bay began experiencing financial trouble in 2007, Cortes and Weisson recruited investors to inject funds into South Bay’s operations. Rather than using those investor funds to fund South Bay’s real estate development projects, Cortes, Weisson, and their co-conspirators used the bulk of the funds to pay outstanding interest and principal debt obligations to other investors.
Cortes and his co-conspirators took numerous steps to perpetuate and conceal the scheme, including distributing investment documents with false and misleading information, deceiving investors about the purpose, risk, return, and security of their investments, and creating and sending fake account statements to unsuspecting clients to conceal the scheme. By the time the Biscayne Capital/South Bay Ponzi scheme collapsed and Biscayne Capital went into liquidation, Biscayne Capital clients had lost over $155 million.
IRS-CI investigated the case.
Bank Integrity Unit Deputy Chief Randall Warden and Trial Attorney Morgan Cohen of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Drew Rolle and Benjamin Weintraub for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case. Trial Attorney Brandon Burkart of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section assisted with the investigation.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from Spain and obtaining evidence in this case. The Department of Justice also thanks the Governments of the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Ecuador, Spain and Switzerland for their valuable support.
Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for SNAP Fraud, Drugs and Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that the following defendants pled guilty and were sentenced in the District Court of Guam on April 23, 2025:
Antonio J. Toves, age 48, from Chalan Pago, Guam was sentenced to 12 months and one day for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Unauthorized Use, Transfer, Acquisition, Alteration, or Possession of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 and 7 U.S.C. § 2024. He was also sentenced to serve 36 months imprisonment for Possession of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(l), and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). The terms of imprisonment were also ordered to run consecutive. The Court also ordered four years of supervised release, $40,869 in restitution, and $400 in mandatory special assessment fees. Toves also forfeited several firearms and a Lexus vehicle. Defendants convicted of SNAP fraud are barred from further participation in the program.
Christina J. Toves, age 47, from Chalan Pago, Guam was sentenced to 12 months and one day for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1349; Unauthorized Use, Transfer, Acquisition, Alteration, or Possession of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ("SNAP") Benefits, in violation of 7 U.S.C. § 2024(b)(1); and Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). The Court also ordered three years of supervised release, $40,869 in restitution, and $300 in mandatory special assessment fees. Toves was also ordered to forfeit several firearms, ammunition, and a Lexus vehicle.
From September 2015 to September 2020, Antonio and Christina Toves defrauded the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) to obtain SNAP benefits to which they were not entitled. The couple made false statements about their household size and income. They also failed to disclose to DPHSS that Christina Toves was employed as a social worker with the Guam Department of Corrections - information on which DPHSS relies in making benefits determinations. As a result of this deceit, they received $40,846.00 in fraudulently obtained SNAP benefits.
Following his arrest, Antonio Toves was found in possession of over five grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride, two pistols, an AR-15 rifle, and over 800 rounds of ammunition. Christina Toves was found in possession of a concealed handgun.
“Citizens with low income rely on SNAP benefits to meet their nutritional needs,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Unfortunately, some people seek to obtain these benefits through fraud and other abuse of the program. Taxpayers deserve justice for this criminal conduct. We will continue to pursue these prosecutions to ensure that federal funds are appropriately used. As this case demonstrates, those who engage in this type of fraud, in addition to drug trafficking, risk significant federal penalties.”
“Fraud, drugs and firearms are a dangerous mixture for failure,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “The Tove’s actions not only cost them prison time and restitution, but also cost the taxpayers of Guam because of their fraudulent claim and receipt of SNAP benefits. This sentence is well deserved and should serve as a warning against anyone that illegal actions will be investigated and prosecuted.”
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Guam DPHSS Investigation & Recovery Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin K. Petersburg prosecuted these cases in the District of Guam.
Hawaii Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking Three Adult Women and One MinorRead the Press Release
Isaiah McCoy, 38, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was convicted yesterday of multiple counts of sex trafficking by a federal jury in the District of Hawaii. Specifically, the jury convicted McCoy of four counts of sex trafficking three adults and one minor, two counts of obstructing a sex trafficking investigation, seven counts of interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises, and one count of interstate travel for prostitution purposes.
“This successful conviction represents this Justice Department’s commitment to putting those who prey on the innocent behind bars,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Human trafficking — which flourished under the prior administration — is a scourge on our country that the Trump Administration will eradicate.”
“Today’s conviction vindicates the rights of multiple women and girls who the defendant terrorized over several years within the District of Hawaii,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant specifically targeted each victim’s unique vulnerabilities and used false promises, brute physical force, and psychological manipulation to compel the victims to engage in commercial sex for his own profit. There is no place in a civilized society for the defendant’s atrocious conduct, and the Justice Department is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.”
“The conviction of Mr. McCoy is a testament to HSI's zero tolerance for those who engage in sex trafficking in Hawaii,” said Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Hawaii. “McCoy is a predator who left countless victims in his path while he sought to enrich himself at their expense. HSI will aggressively pursue those, like McCoy, who seek to exploit vulnerable women and girls and mute their voices while believing they will not be held accountable.”
The evidence presented at the 12-day trial demonstrated that McCoy compelled victims to commit hundreds of commercial sex acts between 2019 and 2021. McCoy made promises of a romantic relationship, a luxurious lifestyle, and financial security to women and girls struggling with low self-esteem, a difficult upbringing, or financial trouble. McCoy’s promises ended up hollow and false, designed to provide him with the opportunity to learn about a victim’s vulnerabilities while misrepresenting himself as caring and empathetic. McCoy’s feigned romantic interest and claimed wealth led him to emotionally manipulate his victims.
After luring the victims into his orbit with his false promises, McCoy turned violent and abusive if the victims did not provide him with enough money or otherwise violated one of his many rules. The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that some of McCoy’s rules included requiring the victims to call him “Daddy” or “Zeus,” requiring the victims to share their cell phone location, and requiring the victims to provide him an update on the amount of money earned through commercial sex work. McCoy required his victims to work all hours of the day and night even when they were sick, hungry, or did not want to engage in commercial sex acts. If not, McCoy would physically assault his victims and leave them battered and bruised.
Evidence presented in court detailed the extensive violence to which McCoy subjected his victims. For example, McCoy repeatedly burned one of the victims with cigar butts when she did not provide him with enough money. On other occasions, McCoy threw victims to the ground before repeatedly stomping on their head, stomach, or hands with his feet. McCoy even smashed a victim’s head against a car door before carrying her unconscious body through a hotel lobby and into an elevator. McCoy inflicted violence against multiple victims that caused them to seek treatment at local hospitals. All of McCoy’s actions contributed to the creation of a climate of fear where the victims felt they had no way out because McCoy promised them that he had eyes and ears everywhere monitoring the victims’ every move.
McCoy required the victims to turn over all the proceeds from his commercial sex business to himself because he felt that the money belonged to him. McCoy then spent the money on high-end designer shoes, belts, clothing, and other accessories. In contrast, although McCoy would intermittently buy designer items for the victims as “rewards,” the victims were ultimately left with nothing.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18. McCoy faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI investigated the case, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department.
Trial Attorneys Maryam Zhuravitsky and Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Support of North Carolina Church in Land Use CaseRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a statement of interest Friday in support of a Christian Church in North Carolina alleging violations of federal law by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners.
The Civil Rights Division filed the statement in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina supporting a claim by a Christian church under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The Church alleges the County unlawfully denied an application to rezone several parcels of land to allow the church to build a new place of worship.
“RLUIPA protects the rights of religious groups to exercise their faith free from the precise type of undue government interference exhibited here,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to defending religious liberties as our founders intended and as federal law requires.”
Summit Church-Homestead Heights Baptist Church worshipped at East Chapel Hill High School for several years but has grown and now needs additional space to meet the religious needs of its congregation. In its complaint, Summit Church claims that the denial of its rezoning applications by the Board treated the Church on less than equal terms to nonreligious assemblies and imposed an unjustified substantial burden on its religious exercise.
Summit Church filed a motion for preliminary injunction, seeking an order requiring the County to approve the church’s rezoning request and associated site plan. The County moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the zoning decision is a “legislative act” under state law and is therefore not controlled by RLUIPA. The department’s statement of interest supports the church’s claim that RLUIPA protects against the County’s discriminatory zoning decision.
RLUIPA is a federal law that guards individuals and 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.
As part of this initiative, the department distributed a letter to state, county, and municipal leaders throughout the country to remind them of their obligations under RLUIPA, including its requirement that land use regulations treat religious assemblies and institutions at least as well as nonreligious assemblies and institutions.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section at (718) 254-7000 or 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.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi Hosts First Task Force Meeting to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias in the Federal GovernmentRead the Press Release
Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi hosted members of the President’s Cabinet at the U.S. Department of Justice for the inaugural meeting of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias in the federal government. The Task Force, which was established by President Trump under Executive Order 14202, was joined by peaceful Christian Americans who were unfairly targeted by the Biden Administration for their religious beliefs.
The witnesses included:
Michael Farris: First Amendment Litigator and Founding President of Patrick Henry College
- Farris spoke on behalf of Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick to discuss how Cornerstone Church was under investigation and charged by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for so-called Johnson Amendment violations. Farris is an elder at the church, previously led Alliance Defending Freedom, and served as counsel on this case.
Dr. Scott Hicks: Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Liberty University
- Hicks described how Liberty University and Grand Canyon University were singled out by the Biden Administration for fines due to the schools’ Christian worldview.
Phil Mendes: Navy Seal
- Mendes was relieved of duty during Biden Administration for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine due to religious exemption requests that were denied by the Department of Defense.
“As shown by our victims’ stories today, Biden’s Department of Justice abused and targeted peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thanks to President Trump, we have ended those abuses, and we will continue to work closely with every member of this Task Force to protect every American’s right to speak and worship freely.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi with members of the Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias Task Force at the U.S. Department of JusticeAdditionally, members of the Task Force highlighted specific cases within their own agencies where the Biden Administration unfairly and harshly punished Christian Americans for their religious beliefs.
FBI Director Kash Patel discussed the impact of the anti-Catholic memo issued by FBI Richmond and reiterated the FBI’s commitment to rooting out any anti-Christian bias that could be directing decisions or investigations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised several concerning allegations of bias, including some against Christian Foreign Service Officers who preferred to homeschool their children. In one case, a family was threatened with an investigation for child abuse and curtailment if they insisted on homeschooling. In another case, a family was referred to the IRS, threatened with prosecution, and investigated by Biden’s Inspector General for insisting they homeschool their son.
He shared how State Department employees were stigmatized for opposing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on religious grounds, including being called “murderers” and “troublemakers.” In one instance, an ambassador yelled at an employee, accusing the employee of wanting to kill the ambassador’s mother despite her being back in the States.
Other reports alleged retaliation against employees for opposing DEI/LGBT ideology that violated their religious conscience. Employees recounted being required to push LGBT agendas while serving overseas, even in countries where such activity constituted a blatant violation of the acceptable religious beliefs and practices. He also detailed allegations that that religious freedom policy offices and programs were sidelined unless they were promoting DEI-related programs.
He also highlighted how Christian holidays at American embassies under the Biden Administration were frequently stripped of any religious overtones, but non-Christian religious holidays like Losar, Eid, or Ramadan, used proper names and appropriate celebratory greetings.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discussed how the previous administration ordered St. Francis Health System in Oklahoma to extinguish its sanctuary candle or lose its ability to treat patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He also discussed progressive rules put in place under the Biden Administration that would make it harder for Christians to become foster parents.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon discussed how Oregon educators Katie Medart and Rachel Sager were suspended and terminated for starting the movement, “I Resolve.” The movement spoke about gender identity education policy and offered solutions for how educators could teach without violating their conscience and also respect the rights of parents.
Additionally, officials at the Skaneateles Central School District in New York began treating a middle-school girl as a boy without her mother’s knowledge or consent – violating their religious liberties as parents.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender discussed financial surveillance under the Biden Administration, including the previous removal of certain tax classifications of Christian and pro-life organizations by the IRS, the lack of involvement within Treasury to protect organizations from the issue of debanking, and FinCEN’s identification of certain pro-Christian groups as “hate groups.”
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins discussed actions the VA took to stop the speech code that the previous administration used to punish Chaplain Trubey of the Coatesville VA Medical Center for fulfilling his duties and preaching a sermon from the Bible.
Director of the Domestic Policy Council, Vince Haley, discussed how the previous DPC Director Neera Tanden helped lead and coordinate the Biden Administration’s efforts to push radical and anti-Christian gender ideology on kids in classrooms, foster care, sports, and healthcare.
Additional attendees included:
- Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General
- Emil Bove, Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General
- Stanley Woodward, Nominee to be Associate Attorney General
- Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General
- Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense
- Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
- Andrew Hughes, Chief of Staff (Dep. Sec. Nom.) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Lori Chavez DeRemer, U.S. Secretary of Labor
- Andrea Lucas, Acting Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Cameron Hamilton, Acting Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Dan Bishop, Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget
- Kelly Loeffler, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration
- Pastor Paula White-Cain, Senior Advisor, White House Faith Office
- Jennifer Korn, Faith Director, White House Faith Office
Read the Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias Executive Order HERE.
A Leader of Notorious Philadelphia ‘10th and O Crew’ Sentenced to Six Years for Opioid Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A South Philadelphia man was sentenced yesterday in the District of New Jersey to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance.
According to court documents, between January 2022 and February 2024, Michael Procopio, 50, coordinated the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a leader of South Philadelphia’s notorious “10th and O Crew.” Procopio obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area. He then unlawfully distributed them through a network of intermediaries. In February 2024, during a search of Procopio’s residence pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement found oxycodone, Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine), and other drugs stored in a safe concealed in a hollowed-out dictionary. During the execution of the search warrant, Procopio stated, “take me to jail” and “I f***ed up.”
Pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, one gram of actual oxycodone is equivalent to 6,700 grams of converted drug weight. Procopio admitted to distributing approximately 14,925 milligrams of oxycodone, which equates to between 80 and 100 kilograms of opioids by converted drug weight.
“The defendant led a criminal ‘crew’ that diverted addictive prescription drugs to sell on the streets of Philadelphia,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The unlawful distribution of opioids ravages communities, whether it’s fentanyl from overseas or prescription oxycodone obtained from a doctor. The Department of Justice is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate the illegal sale of these dangerous drugs.”
In June 2024, Procopio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. Court documents show that Procopio was previously convicted of sexual assault in Pennsylvania.
Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Philadelphia Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Jersey Field Division joined the announcement.
The FBI, DEA, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, 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.
Maryland Attorney Pleads Guilty to Not Paying Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
A Maryland attorney pleaded guilty today for not paying employment taxes withheld from the employees of his law firm.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: James E. McCollum Jr. was an attorney licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia. From 1998 to 2024, McCollum was the sole proprietor of a law firm based in College Park, Maryland, which he operated using a series of business names, including McCollum P.C.; McCollum & Associates LLC; and The McCollum Firm LLC. Nevertheless, McCollum was always the sole owner and operator of the business.
As such, McCollum exercised financial control over the firm, including hiring and supervising employees, operating the payroll, and maintaining signature authority over the business bank accounts. From at least 2000 onward, McCollum was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from his employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the government each quarter. McCollum was also obligated to pay over the employer’s share of Social Security and Medicare taxes.
The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.
Over the last 24 years, McCollum, however, was frequently not compliant with his obligations to pay these taxes to the government or to file the necessary tax returns.
Beginning in 2010, the IRS attempted to collect the unpaid employment taxes, issuing numerous notices and levies to the law firm. When the IRS was unable to collect the outstanding taxes from the firm, it assessed them against McCollum personally and tried to collect them from him as well.
In 2020, instead of paying the taxes that were due, McCollum sought to thwart the IRS’s ongoing collection efforts by transferring his business and its employees to a new entity, The McCollum Firm. Yet, even after the transfer, McCollum continued to not file the requisite tax returns or pay the employment taxes over. McCollum acknowledged that from 2000 through 2024, he did not pay over at least approximately $2,174,992.83 in employment taxes.
McCollum also acknowledged that he did not file his own individual income tax returns and did not pay $220,515 in individual income taxes due for the tax years 2020 through 2022.
The court scheduled sentencing for Sept. 29. McCollum faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the failure to pay over employment taxes. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. McCollum also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Jorge Almonte and Trial Attorney Mark McDonald of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Guatemalan Man Unlawfully Residing in the United States and Convicted of Sexual Battery Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Custody of an Unaccompanied Alien Child in the United StatesRead the Press Release
On Thursday, a federal grand jury indicted a man for his alleged role in smuggling an unaccompanied alien child (UAC) to the United States and for allegedly submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to gain custody of the minor after she entered the United States.
“The prior administration’s border policies created an environment that enabled human trafficking and allowed bad actors to take advantage of at-risk children,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are committed to protecting children from the scourge of human trafficking and will not rest until we deliver justice for those who suffered during the border crisis.”
According to the indictment, Juan Tiul Xi, 26, a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Cleveland, illegally entered the United States in 2023. Thereafter, Tiul Xi allegedly encouraged and induced a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl to illegally enter the United States and to use the identity of Tiul Xi’s sister as her alias. As a UAC, the Guatemalan girl was placed in the care and custody of ORR. As alleged, Tiul Xi then falsely stated on documents submitted to ORR when he applied to sponsor and obtain custody of the girl that he was the UAC’s brother and that her alias was her actual name. ORR relied on Tiul Xi’s alleged false statements when, on or about Sept. 5, 2023, ORR released the UAC to Tiul Xi’s care.
Tiul Xi is charged with one count of encouraging or inducing illegal entry for financial gain, one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the illegal entry count, a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“This case is a testament to ICE’s commitment to hold predators accountable for the harm they inflict on children,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons. “We are making every effort to ensure the safety of children released to sponsors across the United States. This is vital work and through their victim centered approach, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents are perfectly positioned to uncover any similar crimes by predatory sponsors.”
“The Office of Refugee Resettlement is committed to continuing vital policy changes that promote the safety and welfare of unaccompanied alien children related into the Unites States,” said ORR Acting Director Angie M. Salazar. “We have significantly increased sponsor vetting with the wellbeing of the child at the core of our process. We hope that our commitment is evident by our collaboration with law enforcement to right previous wrongs and help bring these crimes to light.”
The indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 325 U.S. convictions; more than 270 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
The ICE HSI and FBI Cleveland field offices are jointly investigating with assistance from HSI’s Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR have provided valuable assistance.
Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), Joint Task Force Alpha detailee/Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Acting U.S. Attorney Carol Skutnik and Criminal Division Chief Michael L. Collyer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
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 Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Executive Vice President of Insurance Brokerage Pleads Guilty in $133M Affordable Care Act Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida executive pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to submit fraudulent applications to enroll consumers in Affordable Care Act insurance plans (ACA plans) that were fully subsidized by the government. The purpose of the scheme was to obtain millions of dollars in commission payments from the insurance company that operated the ACA plans. The federal government paid at least $133,900,000 in subsidies for fraudulently enrolled individuals.
According to court documents, Dafud Iza, 54, an executive vice president of an insurance brokerage firm, participated in a scheme to fraudulently enroll ineligible individuals into ACA plans that offered tax credits to eligible enrollees. These tax credits, or “subsidies,” could be paid by the federal government directly to insurance plans as a payment toward the plan’s monthly premium. The scheme involved submitting false and fraudulent applications for individuals whose income did not meet the minimum requirements to be eligible for the subsidies. Iza and his accomplices deceptively marketed subsidized ACA plans to ineligible consumers and falsely inflated consumers’ incomes to obtain the federal subsidies.
In furtherance of the scheme, Iza and his accomplices targeted vulnerable, low-income individuals experiencing homelessness, unemployment, and mental health and substance abuse disorders, and knew that “street marketers” working on their behalf offered bribes to induce those individuals to enroll in subsidized ACA plans. Marketers working for Iza’s accomplices coached consumers on how to respond to application questions to maximize the subsidy amount paid by the federal government and provided addresses and social security numbers that did not match the consumers purportedly applying.
Iza pleaded guilty to one count of major fraud against the United States and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office; and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI are investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Jamie de Boer and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Department of Justice Prevails in Landmark Antitrust Case Against GoogleRead the Press Release
Today the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice prevailed in its second monopolization case against Google. In United States et al. v. Google, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia held that Google violated antitrust law by monopolizing open-web digital advertising markets. According to the Court, Google “harmed Google’s publishing customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web.”
“This is a landmark victory in the ongoing fight to stop Google from monopolizing the digital public square,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will continue taking bold legal action to protect the American people from encroachments on free speech and free markets by tech companies.”
“The Court’s ruling is clear: Google is a monopolist and has abused its monopoly power,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. “Google’s unlawful dominance allows them to censor and even deplatform American voices. And at the same time, Google destroyed and hid information that exposed its illegal conduct. Today’s opinion confirms Google’s controlling hand over online advertising and, increasingly, the internet itself. I am extraordinarily proud of the dedicated public servants whose tireless efforts led to today’s decision.”
Today’s decision follows a 15-day trial in September 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. In January 2023, the Justice Department, along with Attorneys General of several states and the Commonwealth of Virginia, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Google for monopolizing key digital advertising technologies, referred to as the “ad tech stack,” that website publishers depend on to buy and sell ads that reach millions of customers. As alleged in the complaint, through a series of acquisitions and anticompetitive auction manipulation, Google subverted competition for over 15 years. As a result of Google’s anticompetitive and exclusionary conduct, its ad tech competitors were neutralized or eliminated.
Physician Convicted at Trial for Illegal Distribution of Opioids and Healthcare Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a medical doctor yesterday for his participation in conspiracies to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and to unlawfully distribute controlled substances.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Neil K. Anand M.D., 48, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, conspired to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, health plans provided by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Independence Blue Cross (IBC), and Anthem, for “Goody Bags” of medically unnecessary prescription medications, which were dispensed to patients by in-house pharmacies owned by Anand. As the evidence at trial showed, the conspirators required patients to take the Goody Bags, which they did not need or want, to receive prescriptions for controlled substances. In total, Medicare, OPM, IBC, and Anthem paid over $2.3 million for the Goody Bags. Anand also conspired to distribute oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. In furtherance of the conspiracy, unlicensed medical interns wrote prescriptions for controlled substances using blank prescriptions that were pre-signed by Anand. Anand prescribed 20,850 oxycodone tablets for nine different patients, as part of the scheme. After learning that he was under investigation, Anand concealed the proceeds of the fraud by transferring approximately $1.2 million into an account in the name of his father and for the benefit of his minor daughter.
Anand was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud; three counts of health care fraud; one count of money laundering; four counts of unlawful monetary transactions; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 19 and faces a statutory maximum penalty of 130 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Kathleen Woodson of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (U.S. Postal Service OIG); and Special Agent in Charge of Investigative Operations Derek Holt of the OPM-Office of the Inspector General (OPM-OIG) made the announcement.
The HHS-OIG, U.S. Postal Service OIG, and OPM OIG investigated the case. FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob, Patrick J. Campbell, and Arun Bodapati of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Oilfield Company, Its Executive, and a Support Services Company Plead Guilty and Are Sentenced for Worker Safety, Clean Air Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act Violations Resulting in the Death of an Employee and His SpouseRead the Press Release
Aghorn Operating Inc., an oilfield company, Trent Day, an executive of Aghorn, and Kodiak Roustabout Inc., entered guilty pleas and were sentenced yesterday in relation to criminal worker safety and federal clean air and safe drinking water violations. According to court documents, Aghorn owns and operates oil wells in and near Odessa, Texas. Odessa is in the Permian basin where oil reserves are “sour,” meaning they have high hydrogen sulfide content. Hydrogen sulfide gas can be deadly at high concentrations.
The case leading to these pleas is the result of an investigation of the Oct. 26, 2019, death of Aghorn employee Jacob Dean and his wife Natalee Dean. Both were overcome by hydrogen sulfide at an Aghorn facility in Odessa.
Day agreed to plead guilty to a Clean Air Act (CAA) negligent endangerment charge and serve five months in prison. Aghorn pleaded guilty to CAA negligent endangerment and an Occupational Safety and Health Act willful violation count for the death of Jacob Dean. Kodiak pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act for falsifying oil well integrity tests. Aghorn will pay a $1 million criminal fine and Kodiak will pay a $400,000 criminal fine. These pleas were made under agreements the defendants entered into with the United States. Under the agreements, other pending charges will be dismissed. Yesterday, the court accepted the defendants’ guilty pleas and sentenced them in accordance with their plea agreements.
“Through these guilty pleas, the defendants accept responsibility for allowing hazards that should have been prevented,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “If they had done what the law requires, Jacob and Natalee might still be with us today. The Justice Department can’t stand by when employers put workers at such risk.”
“Energy production is vital, but it must be done competently and lawfully,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Operators who gravely endanger and kill others and those who lie to the government will be held accountable for their criminal conduct. EPA’s criminal investigation of these tragic deaths led to today’s plea deal.”
According to a factual statement accepted by Day and Aghorn, Jacob Dean responded to a call to check a pump at an Aghorn facility. There, he encountered deadly hydrogen sulfide gas, was overcome, and died. His wife, Natalee Dean, knew where Jacob had gone and started calling him when he did not return in a timely manner. When those calls went unanswered, Natalee drove to the facility. When Natalee arrived at the facility, she was also overcome while looking for Jacob and died.
Trent Day admitted that he should have controlled hydrogen sulfide emissions as part of his duties and that because he did not, he placed others in imminent danger of death. Aghorn admitted the same criminal negligence and to a separate charge that it willfully violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations requiring companies to implement respiratory protection programs to address hazards like those at the facility. In addition to paying a $1 million fine, the company will maintain a set of improvements it made after the tragedy during its period of probation.
The investigation also uncovered false statements by Kodiak about injection well testing related to Aghorn’s oil operations. The mechanical integrity of an injection well must be evaluated by conducting pressure tests. These tests are part of programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act to prevent leaks from those wells. Such leaks could, under some circumstances, contaminate groundwater. In its plea agreement, Kodiak admitted that it sent forms and charts to the Texas Railroad Commission, claiming they were tests for specific wells when Kodiak knew they were not actual records of tests of those wells. Kodiak, in addition to its $400,000 fine, will guarantee that at least 33 tests conducted for Aghorn wells during its year of probation are witnessed or conducted by a third party.
The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. The Justice Department and EPA would like to thank the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Railroad Commission, Ector County Environmental, and the Odessa Fire Department for their support of the investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Costantini, Trial Attorney Mark Romley, and Assistant Section Chief Thomas T. Ballantine of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
Former President of Asphalt Paving Company Receives Prison Sentence for Bid RiggingRead the Press Release
A former senior executive of a Michigan asphalt paving company was sentenced today to six months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.
Timothy Baugher, former president of Pontiac-based Asphalt Specialists LLC (ASI), pleaded guilty to conspiring with F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied), and employees from those companies to rig bids in each other’s favor on Jan. 8. According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators already had decided among themselves who would win the contracts. Baugher participated in the conspiracy from July 2017 through May 2021.
Baugher’s former employer, ASI, and another former ASI executive also pleaded guilty for their participation in the conspiracy with Allied in January 2024. Allied and two of its executives previously pleaded guilty in August 2023 for their participation in the conspiracy. On Aug. 15, 2024, ASI was sentenced to pay a fine of $6,500,000.
“There is nothing impressive, just, or indeed lawful about rigging bids with your competitors to ‘win’ a contract,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. “As the court itself noted, white-collar criminals mistakenly expect better treatment than blue-collar criminals. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will enforce the law against all individuals who seek to cheat and deprive the public of the benefits of competition.”
“Violating the nation’s antitrust laws is a serious matter, and those who try to get around federal bidding and contract rules will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Licari of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region. “The message is clear: we will continue working collaboratively with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to uncover and dismantle brazen fraud schemes driven by personal gain.”
Baugher is one of seven individuals that have been charged as part of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry. Three companies also have been charged as part of the investigation, which, to date, has resulted in over $8.1 million in criminal fines.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the Offices of Inspectors General for the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Postal Service.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Texas Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment last week charging Carlos Eduardo Pineda-Morales, 34, of Denton, Texas, with receipt of child pornography and access with intent to view child pornography.
According to an indictment unsealed today, Pineda-Morales used a communications application, a cloud storage service, and digital devices that he owned to receive and access child pornography between Oct. 7, 2024, and Oct. 30, 2024.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin Jr. for the Eastern District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI Dallas Office – Frisco Resident Agency and the Denton Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Panamanian Doctor Pleads Guilty in Criminal Fraud Case Expected to Save U.S. Government $25MRead the Press Release
Based on assistance provided by the United States, Panamanian authorities have obtained a criminal plea from Dr. Rolando Chin, a surgeon residing in Panama, in connection with a widespread fraud scheme perpetrated against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by Dr. Chin and others in Panama.
The Department of Justice, the Department of State, and VA initially uncovered rampant fraud perpetrated by various medical doctors and pharmacies in Panama making claims to the VA’s Foreign Medical Program (FMP), which supports vital medical care for U.S. veterans living abroad. The agencies found evidence that Panamanian doctors and pharmacies were submitting false and inflated claims to the FMP, including claims for services never rendered or medicines never received, as well as deceptive billing for services performed.
“The Department is committed to combating fraud against the United States wherever such conduct occurs,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our efforts in this case have not only recovered funds on behalf of the American taxpayers, but have also prevented significant future losses. We are grateful to our Panamanian colleagues for their ongoing cooperation and collaboration in this matter.”
In December 2022, the United States filed a criminal complaint with Public Ministry of Panama against almost 40 Panamanian defendants, including doctors, pharmacies, corporations, and a hospital, for aggravated fraud and money laundering. Working closely with the Department of Justice, Panamanian prosecutors subsequently initiated an investigation, and in August 2023, brought the first set of formal charges based on the U.S. complaint. Earlier this year, the Panamanian prosecutors successfully obtained the first guilty plea from Dr. Chin to certain fraud charges, which led to a contemporaneous restitution agreement with the United States. Panamanian prosecutors are continuing to pursue proceedings against the other indicted individuals, as well as their investigation of the other defendants named in the U.S. complaint.
Following the United States’ filing of its complaint in Panama, the VA instituted a government-wide suspension of the defendants, which took effect in August 2024. As a result of this suspension, the VA projected that its FMP expenditures in Panama for Fiscal Year 2025 will be cut in half from the previous year. This represents a projected savings of almost $25 million.
This ongoing matter is a coordinated effort between the Department of Justice’s Office of Foreign Litigation (OFL) and the VA, with support from the VA Office of Inspector General, as well as the U.S. Department of State. OFL’s Attorney-in-Charge of Latin American Litigation Christine Brennan and Assistant Director Kiesha Minyard are handling the case.
Maryland Return Preparer Charged with Preparing False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Maryland, returned an indictment, unsealed yesterday, charging a Maryland woman with preparing false tax returns for clients and failing to file her own tax returns.
According to the indictment, Zewdi Tsegay, of Burtonsville, ran a tax preparation business called Taxes R Us LLC, which later changed its named to Taxes 4 You LLC. The indictment alleges that from 2018 through 2024, Tsegay prepared and filed with the IRS false tax returns for clients. These returns allegedly included false business losses that benefited the client by claiming false refunds to which they were not entitled or decreasing their tax liability.
According to the indictment, the IRS conducted an undercover operation at Tsegay’s business in March 2020. Tsegay allegedly initially prepared the undercover agent’s tax return correctly, which reflected that the undercover agent owed taxes, and then added a fictitious business loss to the return, which resulted in the return improperly requesting a refund. The indictment further alleges that from 2021 to 2023, Tsegay was required to file tax returns for herself but did not do so.
If convicted, Tsegay faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file her own tax returns. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Catriona M. Coppler and Richard Kelley 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.
Maryland Man Convicted of Failing to Pay Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Maryland man yesterday of 16 counts of failing to collect and pay over payroll taxes.
The following is according to court documents and evidence presented at trial: Brett Hill, of Parkton and Berlin, was the Chief Executive Officer of two telecommunications companies. As such, Hill was responsible for withholding federal income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes from his employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the government. He was also responsible for filing tax returns each quarter and for paying over the companies’ share of Social Security and Medicare taxes. From the second quarter of 2016 through fourth quarter of 2018, Hill withheld taxes from his employees’ wages at one or both of his companies but did not file tax returns or pay those taxes over to the government. Hill did not pay over his companies’ share either. Instead of paying the taxes he withheld from his employees’ paychecks, Hill paid himself a salary and paid other expenses.
In total, Hill caused a tax loss to the United States of over $1 million.
Hill will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of failing to collect and pay over taxes. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Shawn T. Noud and Catriona M. Coppler of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Continues Efforts to Stop Unlawful Tax Return PreparersRead the Press Release
Today, the federal tax filing deadline, the Justice Department’s Tax Division acknowledges the majority of taxpayers and tax return preparers who voluntarily meet their yearly filing obligations. The Tax Division also cautions taxpayers to choose their return preparers carefully and to look out for unscrupulous preparers who make promises of tax reductions not based on legitimate positions and who include errors or false information on tax returns that could leave a taxpayer subject to liability for unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest.
Over the last year, the Tax Division has worked with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country to bring civil and criminal actions against dishonest tax preparers. These actions include criminal indictments and prison sentences when appropriate as well as civil injunctions to stop ongoing fraud, civil penalties, and disgorgement of ill-gotten proceeds when appropriate. The Justice Department’s message has been clear: those who prepare fraudulent returns will face serious and lasting consequences.
Examples of civil injunctions obtained by the Tax Division over the last and current filing seasons include:
- On Oct. 28, 2024, a federal district court in the Southern District of Indiana permanently enjoined Juan Santiago and his tax preparation business, Madison Solutions LLC, from preparing tax returns for others or employing any person acting as a federal tax return preparer. The government’s complaint alleged that Santiago and his business engaged in fraudulent filing schemes by improperly claiming Head of Household filing status, the Child Tax Credit, and business deductions to which their clients were not entitled. The government estimated that these false returns cost the government over $1 million each filing season.
- On Oct. 3, 2024, a federal district court in the Southern District of Florida entered a permanent injunction against George and Luis Brito and their business, Brito and Brito Accounting USA Inc. The injunction prohibits them from preparing tax returns for others. The government’s complaint alleged that since 2019, the Britos had prepared thousands of tax returns annually, and that they prepared returns that understated their clients’ income by claiming false or inflated business expenses and fabricating residential energy credits.
- On March 29, 2024, following a 12-day trial, a federal district court in the Eastern District of Michigan permanently enjoined Annetta Powell and seven of her businesses from preparing tax returns for others. The court found that Powell and her businesses prepared returns that reported fake Schedule C businesses and business expenses, claimed household help income they knew the customers did not qualify for, and claimed head of household filing status without doing the required due diligence. The court also ordered Powell to disgorge $697,797 in ill-gotten profits.
The Tax Division has also sought to strip fraudulent preparers of ill-gotten gains and to hold in contempt those who attempt to flout court-ordered restraints on further fraudulent activity. Over the last year, the division has brought these cases to court, including:
- On Oct. 24, 2024, a federal district court in the Northern District of Texas held that Jennifer Murley violated a previous injunction against returning tax returns for others. The IRS had suspended Murley’s Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN), but she and her tax preparation firm misappropriated EFINs assigned to others. The court ordered Murley to disgorge over $700,000 in ill-gotten gains she received for preparing returns in violation of the previous court order.
- On Oct. 23, 2024, a federal district court in the Southern District of Florida found Gerald Vito and James Eleby in contempt for violating a previous injunction from 2021 that enjoined them from preparing tax returns for others. Vito and Eleby worked with Kwame Thomas to continue to file returns after being barred from doing so, and the court ordered them to disgorge a total of $988,789.56 in ill-gotten and to notify their clients of the injunction or face possible incarceration.
Criminal indictments and convictions against fraudulent preparers obtained by the Tax Division since the 2024 filing season include the following :
- Thierry Musese, who ran a return preparation business from his barbershop located in Auburn, Maine, was charged with preparing false returns and generating fraudulent refunds for clients by including bogus business losses, fuel and residential energy credits. Musese also allegedly defrauded his clients by diverting a portion of their tax refund to himself without their permission. If convicted Musese faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of preparing a false tax return and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud.
- John Borgela, a Florida return preparer, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiring to file hundreds of false tax returns for clients from his business, Empire Tax services. Borgela typically inflated tax withholdings and reported fictitious itemized deductions to reduce his clients’ tax liability or to generate refunds. He concealed his involvement in the fraud by not including his name as the person who prepared the return on his clients’ tax returns.
- Vervia Watts, a return preparer in Illinois, was sentenced to one year and a day in prison for preparing and filing false returns for clients. Watts prepared over 900 fraudulent income tax returns for her clients, reporting false education expenses and business income to obtain larger refunds from the IRS. She caused a tax loss to the United States of approximately $1.3 million.
- On April 17, 2024, Jonathan Barefoot, a Mississippi return preparer, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for preparing false tax returns for clients. Barefoot conspired with others to claim inflated tax refunds for clients by reporting false education credits, itemized deductions, and business losses. He and his co-conspirators caused a loss to the United States of approximately $3.5 million.
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 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.
United States Department of Justice Transfers 13 Mexican Nationals with Drug Convictions to Mexico Pursuant to the U.S.-Mexico International Prisoner Transfer TreatyRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs with the assistance of the Department’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) transferred 13 Mexican nationals, serving prison sentences for drug distribution-related convictions in the United States, to their home country on Friday.
“Friday’s transfer of 13 federal inmates to correctional authorities in Mexico has saved the United States over $3 million by eliminating the need to pay incarceration costs for the 75 years remaining on their combined sentences,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department’s International Prisoner Transfer Program, which is administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, enhances offender rehabilitation, reduces incarceration costs, and relieves overcrowding in federal prisons. The transfer is pursuant to the Treaty between the United States of America and the United Mexican States on the Execution of the Penal Sentences.”
All 13 inmates transferred today were serving sentences relating to the distribution of controlled substances, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The inmates will complete the remainder of their sentences in Mexico pursuant to the treaty. The inmates requested to be transferred to their home country, and the governments of both the United States and Mexico approved these transfers.
The U.S. Congress enacted legislation authorizing the International Prisoner Transfer Program in October 1977, which also set the requirements of the transfer program. The United States signed its first transfer treaty with Mexico in 1976, which entered into force in November 1977, and since that time has entered into 10 additional bilateral transfer agreements and two multilateral transfer conventions. These international agreements give the United States transfer treaty relationships with more than 85 countries.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit (IPTU) administers the program. Under the program, approved foreign national inmates in federal and state prisons are permitted, under certain circumstances, to complete their prison terms in their home countries’ prisons.
This is the 184th such transfer since the treaty entered into force in 1977. The last transfer prior to today, which took place in December 2024, transferred nine inmates to Mexico pursuant to the treaty. To learn more about the International Prisoner Transfer Program, visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-oia/iptu
Texas Man Sentenced to More than Seven Years for Hobbs Act Robbery Conspiracy and Using a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced last week to seven years and 10 months in prison for conspiring with four co-defendants to commit a Hobbs Act robbery and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, Harry Keith Dwyan Goffney, 23, of Houston, conspired to rob a semi-truck trailer, which he believed contained approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine and 400 firearms. When Goffney and co-conspirators approached the trailer, armed with firearms, they were caught on surveillance camera wearing masks and gloves. Goffney and two co-defendants opened the trailer but did not find the cocaine and firearms, so they left.
Co-defendant Tracy Lee Stevenson, 31, of Houston, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Houston Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Sarah J. Rasalam and Justin G. Bish of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting 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 achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Albuquerque Man Charged in Connection with Arson Attacks on Tesla Dealership and Republican Party of New Mexico OfficeRead the Press Release
Note: View the criminal complaint.
Federal charges have been filed against Jamison Wagner, 40, an Albuquerque resident, in connection with recent arson attacks targeting the Tesla Albuquerque Showroom and the Republican Party of New Mexico (RPNM) headquarters. Investigators linked Wagner to both incidents through surveillance footage and scene evidence.
“Let this be the final lesson to those taking part in this ongoing wave of political violence,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will arrest you, we will prosecute you, and we will not negotiate. Crimes have consequences.”
“Hurling firebombs is not political protest,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “It is a dangerous felony that we will prosecute to the maximum extent. The impressive work by law enforcement in New Mexico sends a clear message to perpetrators of all of the shameful attacks on Tesla facilities and political establishments: we are coming for you, you can’t hide, and you will do serious jail time to pay for your crimes.”
“This arrest is part of the FBI’s aggressive efforts to investigate and hold accountable those who have targeted Tesla facilities in various states across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Thank you to our agents and support teams in Albuquerque who did an outstanding job executing the mission. Under Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, we will continue to locate and arrest those responsible for these acts of domestic terrorism, and the FBI will work with partners at the Department of Justice to ensure such lawbreakers face justice.”
“A key suspect is now in custody thanks to the exceptional work of ATF’s Special Agents, certified fire investigators, and forensic specialists,” said Deputy Director Robert Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “This arrest marks a critical step toward justice in the firebombing that targeted a Tesla dealership and the New Mexico Republican Party Headquarters. Our teams worked around the clock—collecting, analyzing, and connecting forensic evidence across both scenes. With the support of our local partners, the FBI, and the rapid work of ATF’s forensic lab, we were able to link the crimes, identify those responsible, and take swift action to protect the public. This is what ATF does best: we follow the evidence, we find the truth, and we bring offenders to justice.”
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of Feb. 9, 2025, the Tesla Albuquerque Showroom was targeted in an arson attack. Two Tesla vehicles were involved in the fire, one of which was significantly damaged.
An intact glass container containing an improvised napalm material was found in the second vehicle. Investigators noted a hand-written capital “I” or “H” letter on the top of the green metal lid.
Graffiti was spray-painted in red and black paint on the building and six other vehicles, including “Die Elon,” “Tesla Nazi Inc,” and “Die Tesla Nazi,” along with swastika symbols.
Surveillance video captured the suspect on scene, and he was observed as a tall, light-skinned individual, possibly over 6 feet tall, wearing black clothing and a mask, and carrying a white box.
The following month, in the early morning hours of March 30, 2025, a second arson attack occurred, this time at the Republican Party New Mexico (RPNM) office. The fire significantly damaged the front door and entry area. At the scene, investigators collected shattered glass and metal lids from what appeared to be two to three separate glass containers. Two of the lids bore a handwritten capital “I” or “H,” similar in appearance to the letter found on the lid of the glass container at the Tesla scene.
Graffiti with the phrase “ICE=KKK” was found on the south wall of the building.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from nearby businesses and identified a white sedan parking on the north side of the RPNM office building before the fire. A single individual exited the vehicle, approached the RPNM headquarters, and a flash of light was recorded. The individual then returned to the vehicle and drove away. The vehicle was captured on nearby surveillance as it left the RPNM scene. After review of the available surveillance, law enforcement preliminarily identified the suspect vehicle as in what appeared to be a white Hyundai Accent between the years 2012 and 2015.
Investigators determined that both arsons involved the use of homemade incendiary devices utilizing glass containers and flammable liquids. The resulting investigation connected Wagner as a significant person of interest for both crime scenes. Among other links, Wagner’s physical description matches that of the suspect in the available surveillance footage and investigators determined that Wagner owns a white 2015 Hyundai Accent.
Wagner Facebook photo. Tesla arson suspect. Wagner’s driver’s license.On April 12, 2025, agents from the FBI and ATF executed a search warrant at Wagner’s residence in Albuquerque without incident. Inside, investigators uncovered substantial evidence linking him to both arson attacks including:
- A white cardboard box containing eight assembled suspected incendiary devices.
- Blue Styrofoam egg cartons consistent with the polystyrene material found in the improvised napalm used in the Tesla fire.
- Materials for manufacturing additional incendiary devices and ignitable liquids consistent with the gasoline used at both fire scenes.
- A jar with a green gingham-style lid similar to one found at the RPNM fire scene, along with several jars marked with handwritten capital letters “I” or “H,” similar to markings seen on lids recovered from both arson sites.
- Black and red spray paint matching the graffiti used at both crime scenes.
- A stencil bearing the phrase “ICE=KKK,” consistent with graffiti found at the RPNM fire scene.
Wagner’s white Hyundai Accent was found in his garage during the search. Investigators noted modifications consistent with efforts to avoid identification during the commission of the crimes.
“The charges today demonstrate that there is no place in our society for politically or ideologically motivated acts of violence and extremism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin for the District of New Mexico. “We are grateful for the tireless and exceptional work of our law enforcement partners to identify the alleged perpetrator of these unacceptable criminal acts and commit to prosecuting this case to the fullest extent of the law.”
Wagner is charged with two counts of malicious damage or destruction of property by fire or explosives and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Wagner faces between five and 20 years in prison for each count.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI Albuquerque Field Office are jointly investigating the case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and the New Mexico Department of Justice.
Numerous additional agencies responded to the arson scenes or otherwise provided valuable assistance, including the Santa Ana Pueblo Police Department, the Sandoval County Fire Department, the New Mexico State Fire Marshals Office, Albuquerque Fire Rescue, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Elena Stiteler and Nicholas Mote for the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Unlawful Illinois DEI Scholarship Program Suspended After Justice Department Threatened LawsuitRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department announced that it has acted to end the state of Illinois’ unlawful minority-only scholarship program. After the Justice Department threatened to file suit, the state and six universities suspended the program.
On March 31, 2025, the Justice Department found that an Illinois scholarship program unconstitutionally discriminated on the basis of race in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellow of Harvard Coll., 600 U.S. 181 (2023), colleges and universities are prohibited from using race to select winners and losers in higher education. The scholarship program established by Illinois law used race as a prerequisite for participation, specifically excluding students of some races but not others in violation of federal law.
After the Justice Department notified the educational institutions of its findings, multiple universities informed the Justice Department that they had ended their participation in the program, including Northwestern University, Loyola University of Chicago, and the University of Chicago. None of the institutions that the Department notified of its findings is currently electing to continue its participation in the program.
Additionally, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, which administers the state-created DEI scholarship program, responded to the Department’s threatened lawsuit by suspending all its activities relating to the program until it can comprehensively review the program with the Illinois General Assembly during the current legislative session.
“This Department of Justice is committed to rooting DEI out of American institutions, including in the education system," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "This latest victory illustrates that the threat of legal action can be enough to force bad actors into dissolving harmful practices that disregard merit and divide Americans based on race.”
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 or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.
Owner of Florida Health Care Companies Sentenced for Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,381,265.76 in restitution to the United States for willfully failing to pay over employment taxes and willfully failing to file individual income tax returns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Paul Walczak controlled a network of interconnected health care companies operating under various names, including Palm Health Partners. Through another of his entities, Palm Health Partners Employment Services (PHPES), Walczak employed over 600 people and paid over $24 million annually in payroll. As such, Walczak was required to withhold Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from his employees’ paychecks and to pay those monies over to the IRS each quarter, and to pay the companies’ portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes.
For more than a decade, Walczak was not compliant with his tax obligations and instead used the withheld taxes to enrich himself. In 2011, Walczak did not pay two quarters of withheld taxes to the IRS. In 2012, the IRS began collection efforts, including by sending him notices about his unpaid taxes, and by meeting with Walczak to help bring him into compliance. When that effort was unsuccessful, the IRS assessed the outstanding taxes against him personally. After that was imposed, Walczak paid the assessments in October 2014. Walczak’s compliance did not last long, however. By the end of the following year, Walczak was again withholding taxes from his employees’ paychecks and keeping the money.
From 2016 through 2019, Walczak withheld $7,432,223.80 of taxes from his employees’ paychecks, but did not pay those taxes over to the IRS. While Walczak was withholding taxes from the pay of his employees under the pretext of paying these funds to the IRS, he used over $1 million from his businesses’ bank accounts to purchase a yacht, transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to his personal bank accounts, and used the business accounts for personal purchases at retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman, Cartier, and Saks. During this same time, he also did not pay $3,480,111 of his business’s portion of his employees’ Social Security and Medicare taxes.
By 2019, the IRS had assessed millions of dollars in civil penalties against Walczak. Beginning with the 2018 tax year, Walczak also stopped filing personal income tax returns despite that he was still receiving income including a $360,000 salary from PHPES and $450,000 in transfers from his business bank accounts.
Moreover, in 2019, Walczak created a new business, NextEra. Walczak used a family member as the 99% nominal owner of NextEra, but Walczak had ultimate control of the finances and operations of NextEra. Through NextEra, Walczak transferred in 2020 just under $200,000 to a bank account titled in a family member’s name, over $250,000 to a bank account in his wife’s name, and over $800,000 in payments directly to third parties for Walczak’s personal expenses, including clothing stores, department stores, and fishing retailers.
In total, Walczak caused a tax loss to the IRS of $10,912,334.80
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Brian Flanagan, Andrew Ascencio, and Ashley Stein of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Surpasses $12 Billion in Compensation to Crime Victims Since 2000Read the Press Release
To commemorate the 2025 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the Department of Justice reaffirms its steadfast commitment to compensate crime victims with federally forfeited assets. The Justice Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program has surpassed $12 billion in compensation to crime victims.
In fiscal year 2024 and the beginning of fiscal year 2025 alone, more than $735.3 million has been returned to victims of human trafficking; romance, investment, and healthcare fraud; business email compromise and government imposter schemes; drug diversion; and cryptocurrency-related thefts and frauds.
“This extraordinary milestone demonstrates the effectiveness of the Asset Forfeiture Program in taking the profit out of crime and compensating victims,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “While the Criminal Division is deeply proud of these efforts, we recognize that crime victims often lose much more than money. We hope that victims, from exploited children to older Americans targeted by sophisticated criminal schemes, can move forward in their recovery through this compensation. This milestone was made possible by the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, which manages the Asset Forfeiture Program, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and the many federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies that have dedicated their time and resources to these investigations.”
Recent cases in which victims were compensated for their losses with forfeited assets in 2024 or 2025 include:
$4.3 Billion to Victims of Bernie Madoff
United States v. Bernard L. Madoff (Southern District of New York)
In December 2024, the Justice Department announced that the Madoff Victim Fund (MVF) would make its 10th and final distribution of over $131.4 million to victims of the Bernard L. Madoff fraud scheme. These funds were forfeited by the U.S. government in connection with the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS) fraud scheme. Through its 10 distributions, MVF paid over $4.3 billion from forfeited funds to 40,930 victims in 127 countries for losses they suffered from the collapse of BLMIS, bringing recovery for victims to nearly 94% of their fraud loss. According to court documents and information presented in related proceedings, for decades, Madoff used his position as chairman of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, the investment advisory business he founded in 1960, to steal billions from his clients. On March 12, 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies, admitting that he had turned his wealth management business into the world’s largest Ponzi scheme, benefitting himself, his family, and select members of his inner circle.
$420 Million to Victims of Fraud Schemes Facilitated by Western Union
United States v. The Western Union Company (Middle District of Pennsylvania)
In 2017, Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the United States. Pursuant to the DPA, Western Union acknowledged responsibility for its criminal conduct, which included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud. Western Union agreed to forfeit $586 million, which has been made available to compensate victims of the international consumer fraud scheme through the remission process. Western Union simultaneously resolved a parallel civil investigation with the Federal Trade Commission. To date, the Criminal Division has disbursed more than $420 million to approximately 175,000 victims.
$8 Million Returned to Victims of Email Business Compromise Scams
United States v. Olalekan Jacob Ponle (Northern District of Illinois)
Olalekan Jacob Ponle worked with co-schemers to engage in numerous business email compromise schemes. The co-schemers used phishing links to gain unauthorized access to email accounts and then created false instructions directing employees of the victim companies to wire money to bank accounts opened by money mules at Ponle’s direction. After unwitting employees wired money, in some cases millions of dollars, to the bank accounts, Ponle instructed the money mules to convert the proceeds to Bitcoin and send them to him. As a result of Ponle’s scheme, victim companies suffered more than $8.03 million in actual losses. The government seized the Bitcoin, obtained a final order of forfeiture, liquidated the cryptocurrency, and used the proceeds to compensate the victims of Ponle’s fraud.
$5.6 Million to the Small Business Administration
United States v. Aydin Kalantarov, et al. (Northern District of Ohio)
According to court documents, from May 2020 through October 2020, Aydin Kalantarov, along with his two brothers, Zaur Kalantarli and Ali Kalantarli, conspired to defraud the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) of nearly $7 million in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). As part of the scheme the brothers created 70 fictious Ohio corporations with agriculture sounding names. Once the fictitious corporations were created, the brothers submitted fraudulent EIDL loan applications to the SBA claiming that their business was adversely affected by the pandemic. The SBA funded 47 of the applications for a total of approximately $7 million. $5.6 million in forfeited funds was transferred to the clerk of the court for payment to the SBA.
$2.28 Million Returned to Victims of Two Business Email Compromise Schemes
United States v. Contents of TD Bank Account, Account Ending 7684, Held in the Name of O’Shane K. Malcolm, et al. (District of Connecticut)
United States v. Contents of Truist Bank Account Ending 5792, Held in The Name of Quest Freight LLC (District of Connecticut)
In the first scam, criminal actors compromised an email account associated with a member of the management team of a city’s Board of Education. In June 2023, these actors created a fake email account that mimicked the email of a bus company that held a contract with the Board of Education for bussing. Using the fake bus company email address, the criminal actors then were able to change the bus company’s payment information from the real bus company to an account held by the criminal actors, and the city sent approximately $5.9 million dollars to the account. The government successfully seized and forfeited approximately $1,187,691 of the stolen money, which was returned to the city through remission.
The second forfeiture action involved a healthcare company that was a victim of a business email compromise (BEC) attack. In April 2023, the company’s yearly medical malpractice insurance payment was set to be paid. Shortly before the due date, the company received a fraudulent email, purportedly from its malpractice insurance company, with new wire instructions. The company sent approximately $1,652,254 via a wire transfer using the newly provided instructions. The government successfully seized and forfeited approximately $1,100,694 remaining in the account, which was returned to the healthcare company through remissions.
$328,500 to an Elderly Victim of a Computer Support Scam
United States v. Discovery Bank Account Ending in 2237 (District of Connecticut)
According to court documents, in February 2024, an elderly woman who was tricked by a computer support scheme that mimicked Microsoft customer support transferred approximately $550,000 to the scammers in two wire transfers. Within two days of the transfers, the victim and a family member reported the incident to a local police department, who then partnered with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to investigate the crime. Fortunately, one of the wire transfers, in the amount of $221,000, was reversed by the bank and returned to the victim. HSI traced the remaining money, totaling approximately $328,573, and seized it. The U.S. Attorney’s Office then filed a civil asset forfeiture action to forfeit the money to the government, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and HSI then worked with the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section to return the money to the victim.
$6.4 Million to the Internal Revenue Service
United States v. Michael Little (Middle District of Florida)
From 2019 to 2021, Michael Little filed a series of false tax returns claiming massive, bogus fuel tax credits. He filed the false returns in his own name and in the names of co-conspirators and identity theft victims. As a result of this scheme, Little and his co-conspirators obtained at least $12.3 million in fraudulent tax refunds and attempted to obtain at least $27 million more. Little and his co-conspirators also conspired to launder their ill-gotten gains and used significant portions of the fraudulent tax refunds to purchase real estate and other assets. Over $6.4 million in forfeited funds were transferred to the clerk of court for payment to the IRS.
$52,000 to a Survivor of Human Trafficking
United States v. Thuy Tien Luong (Western District of North Carolina)
Thuy Tien Luong was convicted of forced labor and ordered to serve 15 years in prison for compelling the labor of one of her nail technicians at a salon she owned and operated. From October 2016 to June 2018, Luong forced the survivor’s labor by, among other things, physically assaulting the survivor, threatening to ruin the survivor’s reputation with her family, and falsely claiming that the survivor owed Luong a fictitious debt. In addition to resulting in the return of funds seized from Luong to the Clerk of Court to pay the survivor, the case also resulted in the return to the survivor of a seized bracelet that Luong had held as “payment” towards the survivor’s fictitious debt.
$6.3 Million Returned to Estate Victims of an Embezzlement Scheme
United States v. Richard J. Sherwood, et al. (Northern District of New York)
Starting in 2006, Richard J. Sherwood and Thomas K. Lagan provided estate planning and related legal services to Capital Region philanthropists Warren and Pauline Bruggeman, and to Pauline’s sister, Anne Urban, all of Niskayuna, New York. They were advising the Bruggemans when, in 2006, the Bruggemans signed wills directing that all their assets go to churches, civic organizations, a local hospital, and a local university scholarship fund, aside from bequests to Urban and Julia Rentz, Pauline’s sisters.
Warren Bruggeman died in April 2009, and Pauline died in August 2011. In each pleading guilty, Sherwood and Lagan admitted that they conspired to steal, and did steal, millions of dollars from Pauline Bruggeman’s estate as well as from the estate of Urban, who died in 2013. The co-conspirators admitted that they stole $11,831,563 and Sherwood also admitted that he transferred to himself the Bruggeman family camp located on Galway Lake, in Saratoga County.
For additional information about the Department of Justice’s victim compensation program, please visit: Criminal Division | Victims.
Justice Department Implements Critical National Security Program to Protect Americans’ Sensitive Data from Foreign AdversariesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department took significant steps to move forward with implementing a critical program to prevent China, Russia, Iran, and other foreign adversaries from using commercial activities to access and exploit U.S. government-related data and Americans’ sensitive personal data to commit espionage and economic espionage, conduct surveillance and counterintelligence activities, develop AI and military capabilities, and otherwise undermine our national security.
The Data Security Program implemented by the National Security Division (NSD) under Executive Order 14117 addresses this “unusual and extraordinary threat…to the national security and foreign policy of the United States” that has been repeatedly recognized across political parties and by all three branches of government.
The Justice Department’s continued prioritization of the Data Security Program delivers on promises made by President Trump in his America First Investment Policy and NSPM-2 on Imposing Maximum Pressure on Iran, addresses threats identified in the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community and President Trump’s 2017 National Security Strategy, and responds to the national emergency President Trump declared in Executive Order 13873.
“If you’re a foreign adversary, why would you go through the trouble of complicated cyber intrusions and theft to get Americans’ data when you can just buy it on the open market or force a company under your jurisdiction to give you access?” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Data Security Program makes getting that data a lot harder.”
To address this urgent threat, the Data Security Program establishes what are effectively export controls that prevent foreign adversaries, and those subject to their control, jurisdiction, ownership, and direction, from accessing U.S. government-related data and bulk genomic, geolocation, biometric, health, financial, and other sensitive personal data. To assist the public in coming into compliance with the Data Security Program, NSD has issued a Compliance Guide, an initial list of over 100 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and an Implementation and Enforcement Policy for the first 90 days. NSD will be taking additional steps over the coming weeks and months to implement the Data Security Program, including publishing an initial Covered Persons List that identifies and designates persons subject to the control and direction of foreign adversaries. The Data Security Program went into effect on April 8, 2025.
Newly Issued Guidance and FAQs
The Data Security Program Compliance Guide identifies and describes best practices for complying with the Data Security Program, thereby mitigating the unacceptable national security risk of enabling countries of concern to access and exploit Americans’ sensitive personal data. The document provides guidance on key definitions, prohibited and restricted transactions, and the requirements for building a robust data compliance program. The Compliance Guide also provides model contractual language and suggests best practices for complying with the Data Security Program’s audit and recordkeeping requirements. It is crucial that U.S. persons familiarize themselves and become prepared to comply with the Data Security Program’s prohibitions and restrictions once they became effective on April 8, 2025.
The Data Security Program FAQs address high-level clarifications about Executive Order 14117 and provides valuable information about the Data Security Program, its scope, and accompanying processes for requesting licenses and advisory opinions, making disclosures of Data Security Program violations, and reporting rejected prohibited transactions. The FAQs reflect some of the comprehensive feedback and common issues the Department received and addressed through the rulemaking process, both as public comments in response to the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, as well as questions delivered during dozens of engagements with individuals, businesses, trade groups, and other stakeholders that were potentially interested in or impacted by the Data Security Program. NSD will update these FAQs as necessary and appropriate to address additional questions raised by the public.
NSD’s primary mission with respect to the implementation and enforcement of the Data Security Program is to protect U.S. national security from countries of concern that may seek to collect and weaponize Americans’ most sensitive personal data and government-related data. U.S. persons should “know their data” and the front-line role they play in mitigating these risks. As further explained in the Compliance Guide, individuals and entities subject to U.S. jurisdiction, as well as foreign individuals and entities conducting business in or with the United States or with U.S. persons, must comply with the Data Security Program.
The Compliance Guide and FAQs are explanatory and intended to provide general guidance to regulated parties about compliance with the Data Security Program. Nothing in these documents supplements, modifies, or supersedes the requirements set forth in the Data Security Program. NSD intends to update the FAQs on an ongoing basis as NSD identifies additional questions and responses that should be made public to aid the regulated community in compliance.
Newly Issued Enforcement Policy for the First 90 Days
The Data Security Program went into effect on April 8, 2025. Starting April 8, 2025, entities and individuals were required to comply with the Data Security Program’s prohibitions and restrictions on engaging in covered data transactions. To provide additional time for entities and individuals to come into compliance, the Data Security Program delays certain affirmative due-diligence obligations, which do not go into effect until Oct. 6, 2025.
NSD recognizes that individuals and companies may need to take a number of steps to determine whether the Data Security Program’s prohibitions and restrictions apply to their activities, and to implement changes to their existing policies or to implement new policies and processes to comply.
To allow the private sector to focus its resources and efforts on promptly coming into compliance and to allow NSD to prioritize its resources on facilitating compliance, NSD will target its enforcement efforts during the first 90 days to allow U.S. persons (e.g., individuals and companies) additional time to implement the changes required by the Data Security Program, provide additional opportunities for the public to engage with NSD, and to minimize potential disruptions for businesses. As explained in NSD’s Data Security Program Implementation and Enforcement Policy Through July 8, 2025, NSD will not prioritize civil enforcement actions against any person for violations of the Data Security Program that occur from April 8 through July 8, 2025, so long as the person is engaging in good faith efforts to comply with or come into compliance with the Data Security Program during that time. These efforts include engaging in compliance activities described in that policy, such as amending or renegotiating existing contracts, conducting internal reviews of data flows, deploying the CISA security requirements, and so on.
At the end of this 90-day period, individuals, and entities should be in full compliance with the DSP. This policy does not limit NSD’s lawful authority and discretion to pursue civil enforcement if entities and individuals did not engage in good faith efforts to comply with, or come into compliance with, the Data Security Program.
During this 90-day period, NSD encourages the public to contact NSD at [email protected] with informal inquires or information about the DSP and the guidance NSD has released. Although NSD may not be able to respond to every inquiry, NSD will use its best efforts to respond consistent with available resources, and any inquiries or information submitted may be used to develop and refine future guidance. Correspondingly, NSD discourages the submission of any formal requests for specific licenses or advisory opinions during this 90-day period. Although requests for specific licenses or advisory opinions during this 90-day period can be submitted, NSD will not review or adjudicate those submissions during the 90-day period (absent an emergency or imminent threat to public safety or national security).
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in New York in Support of Religious Muslim Community’s Land Use ClaimRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a statement of interest today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York supporting a claim by a religious Islamic organization that the Town of Oyster Bay violated its rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) when it denied the organization’s site plan application to expand its current facility into a mosque that would meet the religious needs of its congregation.
The lawsuit alleges that Muslims on Long Island (MOLI) have worshipped at a mosque in Bethpage, Long Island, since 1998, but that it has grown and now needs additional space for prayer, religious education, ritual washing and religious counseling. In its complaint and motion for a preliminary injunction, MOLI claims that the Town’s recently revised zoning code imposes more onerous parking requirements on houses of worship than on comparable nonreligious places of assembly like theaters, museums and libraries. MOLI alleges that the Town denied its application to expand its house of worship, relying on the Town’s recently revised parking code. The Department’s statement of interest supports MOLI’s argument that the zoning code treats religious uses less favorably than non-religious uses, in violation of RLUIPA’s equal terms provision, and that the Town has failed to justify this unequal treatment.
“RLUIPA prohibits local governments from imposing more onerous requirements on religious assemblies than comparable nonreligious assemblies,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Zoning codes violate RLUIPA when they single out religious uses for tougher restrictions than comparable secular uses. The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigilantly enforce RLUIPA’s protections and ensure that religious groups have equal access to places to worship.”
“Zoning regulations that unfairly restrict assemblies by faith-based groups violate federal law,” said United States Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “Municipalities cannot impose tougher parking or other land use standards on houses of worship than comparable secular assemblies. The Justice Department and my Office will vigorously protect the right of religious institutions to receive equal treatment under the law.”
RLUIPA is a federal law that protects persons and religious institutions from unduly burdensome, unequal, or discriminatory land use regulations. More information about RLUIPA and the department’s efforts to enforce it can be found on the Place to Worship Initiative’s webpage.
As part of this initiative, the department distributed a letter to state, county, and municipal leaders throughout the country to remind them of their obligations under RLUIPA, including its requirement that land use regulations treat religious assemblies and institutions at least as well as nonreligious assemblies and institutions.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section at (718) 254-7000 or 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.
Department of Justice Terminates Environmental Justice Settlement Agreement, Advancing President Trump’s Mandate to End Illegal DEI and Environmental Justice PoliciesRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced that that its Civil Rights Division will immediately close an “environmental justice” matter. Effective immediately, the division will terminate the environmental justice settlement agreement that stemmed from the investigation launched by the previous administration targeting Lowndes County, Alabama.
This directive follows President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14151, “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing,” which forbids federal agencies from pursuing programs or initiatives related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including those related to “environmental justice.”
“The DOJ will no longer push ‘environmental justice’ as viewed through a distorting, DEI lens,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “President Trump made it clear: Americans deserve a government committed to serving every individual with dignity and respect, and to expending taxpayer resources in accordance with the national interest, not arbitrary criteria.”
Today’s closure is another step this Administration has taken to eradicate illegal DEI preferences and environmental justice across the government and in the private sector. The Department is working quickly to close such cases in compliance with the Attorney General’s directive.
Kansas Realtor Indicted for Tax Evasion and COVID-19 Loan Program FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment yesterday charging a Kansas woman with tax evasion and wire fraud.
The indictment alleges that Michelle O’Connor, of Louisburg, owned and operated a realty company based in the Kansas City metro area. For tax years 2008 through 2015, O’Connor filed federal income tax returns, self-reporting that she owed approximately $300,000 in taxes. Despite acknowledging she owed the taxes, O’Connor did not pay them. In 2011, the IRS audited her 2008 and 2009 tax returns and concluded that O’Connor had improperly claimed tens of thousands of dollars in personal expenses as charitable deductions to the “Church of Revelation and Love,” a purported church she and her husband created and were, along with her family, its primary members. Based on that audit, the IRS assessed over $40,000 in additional taxes against O’Connor.
Starting in 2011, the IRS began trying to collect the outstanding taxes from O’Connor, sending her over 50 notices regarding them. From 2011 through 2023, however, Michelle O’Connor tried to stymy the IRS’s collections efforts by, among other things, filing three separate false and frivolous bankruptcy petitions, purchasing approximately $250,000 of cashier’s checks to reduce her bank account balances, and closing her personal bank accounts and using her business’ bank accounts to pay personal expenses.
By 2020, O’Connor owed the IRS nearly $500,000 in taxes, penalties, and interest.
In 2020, O’Connor submitted 34 fraudulent COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications on behalf of her real estate business and seven other corporate entities she created for the purpose of maximizing potential EIDL credits. Under the EIDL program, a small business could receive a loan of up to $150,000 from the Small Business Administration to cover six months of working capital. In total, O’Connor received nearly $300,000 from her fraudulent EIDLs, which she used for personal purposes, including $115,000 to purchase cryptocurrency.
If convicted, O’Connor faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Dominick Giovanniello and Robert Kemins 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.
Federal Court Permanently Shuts Down Ohio Tax PreparerRead the Press Release
Note: View order here.
A federal court in Ohio yesterday permanently enjoined a Columbus, Ohio, tax preparer from preparing returns for others and from owning or operating any tax return preparation business in the future. According to the court’s order, Michael Craig, both individually and doing business as Craig’s Tax Service, consented to the entry of the injunction.
The court’s order requires Craig to send notice of the injunction to each person for whom he prepared federal tax returns or refund claims after Jan. 1, 2022. According to the government’s complaint, many tax returns that Craig prepared made false and fraudulent claims, including:
- Reporting losses for fictitious Schedule C businesses;
- Claiming costs of goods sold (COGS) for types of businesses that cannot legitimately claim COGS and without supporting documentation;
- Inventing or inflating expenses for otherwise legitimate Schedule C businesses; and
- Taking deductions for both cash and non-cash charitable deductions that are either exaggerated or completely fabricated.
According to the complaint, the IRS estimated a tax loss of more than $3.1 million in 2022 alone from tax returns prepared by Craig.
The Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers guidance on the credentials and qualifications that taxpayers should seek from their return preparer.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions 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.
Michigan Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Return and Employment Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
A Michigan man pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return for his international vehicle shipping business along with not paying taxes on cash wages he paid to his employees.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ali Kassem Kain owned and operated a business called Specialized Overseas Shipping that arranged for vehicles to be shipped to West Africa and other destinations for third parties. For tax years 2017 through 2020, Kain underreported the company’s gross receipts by $6.4 million on the business’ tax returns. Kain also did not collect and pay over to the IRS taxes on $249,000 in cash wages he paid to his employees.
Kain faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the employment tax offense and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Leitman for the Eastern District of Michigan scheduled sentencing for Aug. 14.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI Detroit Field Office are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Richard J. Kelley and Jeffrey A. McLellan of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
DynCorp Agrees to Pay $21 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Lawsuit Alleging Inflated Costs on State Department Contract to Train Civilian Police Forces in IraqRead the Press Release
DynCorp International LLC (DynCorp) has agreed to pay $21 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it knowingly submitted inflated subcontractor charges under a State Department contract to train Iraqi police forces, known as the “CIVPOL” contract. DynCorp was a government contractor headquartered in Irving, Texas, and Falls Church, Virginia. Amentum, another government contractor with headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia, purchased DynCorp in November 2020.
The State Department awarded the CIVPOL contract to DynCorp in April 2004 to provide training for civilian police forces in Iraq. DynCorp was also tasked with supplying support for this effort, such as lodging for contractor personnel and various labor services. In a lawsuit filed in July 2016, the United States alleged that one of DynCorp’s main CIVPOL subcontractors charged excessive, uncompetitive, and unsubstantiated rates for hotel lodging and guard, translator, driver, and supervisor services, and that DynCorp, contrary to its obligations as a government prime contractor, knowingly passed on those charges to the State Department for reimbursement.
“Federal contractors have a duty be fair and honest when doing business with the government,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department will not tolerate those who use times of conflict and strife to enrich themselves at the expense of the American people.”
“As the Trump Administration zeroes in on fraud, waste, and abuse, this office will continue to seek settlements with outside entities that are taking advantage of their U.S. government contract by either not providing what they promised or misusing the funds in other ways,” said Interim U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “This contractor was supposed to train civilian police forces to help the State Department provide some stability for a strategic partner. When you are given a government contract, you are taking money from the American people and this office will make certain you deliver on your promises.”
“State Department contractors and subcontractors have a unique opportunity to serve their country and contribute to the safety and security of Americans across the globe,” said Assistant Inspector General Robert J. Smolich for Investigations at the Department of State Office of Inspector General. “Today's settlement sends a clear message that those who seek to exploit State Department contracts in order to defraud American taxpayers will be held accountable for their actions.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of an effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General.
Trial Attorneys Ben Young and Jeff McSorley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez for the District of Columbia represented the United States in this matter.
The case is captioned United States v. DynCorp International LLC, Case No. 1:16-cv-01473 (D.D.C.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi Statement Regarding Creation of a 2nd Amendment Task ForceRead the Press Release
Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement regarding her creation of a 2nd Amendment Task Force at the Department of Justice:
“The prior administration placed an undue burden on gun owners and vendors by targeting law-abiding citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. The Department of Justice’s new 2nd Amendment Task Force will combine department-wide policy and litigation resources to advance President Trump’s pro-gun agenda and protect gun owners from overreach.”
Background:
- This follows the DOJ and ATF’s Monday repeal of the Enhanced Regulatory Enforcement Policy and the review of Final Rule 2021R-08F, related to stabilizing braces, and Final Rule 2022R-17F, related to the definition of “engaging in the business” of firearms dealing. Read more here.
- Read the full memo establishing the 2nd Amendment Task Force here.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Prescription Opioid ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance.
According to court documents, between November 2022 and March 2023, Chris Ruediger, 61, of Pennsauken, purchased prescription oxycodone pills from a relative and sold them to another relative involved in unlawfully distributing oxycodone. Ruediger admitted to distributing between 100 and 400 kilograms of opioids by converted drug weight. Ruediger also admitted that he attempted to obstruct the investigation by attempting to persuade one of his co-conspirators not to talk with law enforcement.
In November 2024, Ruediger pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency investigated the case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division.
Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Louisiana Woman Who Provided a Child for Pornographic Photoshoot Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A Louisiana woman pleaded guilty today to receiving child sexual abuse material produced by a photographer she arranged to take the images.
According to court documents, Hannah Kinchen, 40, of Gonzales, coordinated with a photographer, who self-identified as a “pedophile,” to conduct photoshoots for the minor victim’s modeling career. During the photoshoots, Kinchen allowed and assisted the photographer in posing the minor victim wearing scanty attire, including thongs and G-strings. The photographer sent and Kinchen received most of the images through a file-sharing website on the internet. Some of the resulting images qualified as child pornography and some were later sold.
Kinchen pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Head of the Justic Department’s Criminal Division, Matthew R. Galeotti; Acting U.S. Attorney April M. Leon for the Middle District of Louisiana; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI New Orleans Division - Baton Rouge Resident Agency investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from CEOS Trial Attorney Charles Schmitz.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi Statement on Supreme Court Stay of Maryland District Court OrderRead the Press Release
Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court's temporary administrative stay blocking the district court's order that Salvadoran national Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia must be returned to the United States by midnight tonight:
"We welcome this stay from the Supreme Court as we continue to fight this case and protect the executive branch from judicial overreach."
United States Secures the Extradition from Canada, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, Kosovo, Israel, Mexico, Spain and Thailand of Fugitives Wanted for Murder, Drug Trafficking, Child Sexual Abuse and Cybercrime in California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, MinneRead the Press Release
Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between the United States Department of Justice and law enforcement authorities in Canada, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, Kosovo, Israel, Mexico, Spain, and Thailand resulted in the extraditions last week of individuals alleged to have committed murder child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, and fraud.
The fugitives extradited to the United States include:
- Roberto Avina-Casillas, 30, a Mexican citizen, was extradited from Mexico to stand trial in Franklin County, Ohio for murder, felonious assault and endangering children. Avina-Casillas evaded arrest for more than 11 years after he was accused of the Aug. 7, 2013 death of his former girlfriend’s 3-year-old son.
- Justin David Lanoue, 44, a Canadian citizen, was extradited from Canada to stand trial in Washington County, Utah, on charges filed against him in 2015 related to child rape and felony sexual abuse of a minor. The Washington County Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution.
- Dominik Rydz, 24, a Polish national, was extradited from Germany to stand trial in the state of Michigan, where he faces two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree and one count of unlawful imprisonment. On the night of Sept. 3, 2023, Rydz allegedly lured a woman away from her friends at a social gathering and proceeded to sexually assault the victim and would not let her leave. Rydz’s extradition was first sought from Poland, where he resided. While out on release from the Polish proceedings, Rydz travelled to Germany and was arrested there on an INTERPOL Red Notice.
- Olof Kyros Gustafsson, also known as “El Silencio,” 31, a Swedish national, was extradited from Spain to face conspiracy, wire and mail fraud, and money laundering charges in a 115-count federal indictment filed in the Central District of California alleging that he licensed the rights to use the name and persona of the late Colombian narco-terrorist Pablo Escobar and defrauded investors around the world by marketing and selling products — including flamethrowers and cellphones — that did not exist and that he never delivered to paying customers.
- Ardit Kutleshi, 26, and Jetmir Kutleshi, 28, both Kosovo nationals, were extradited from Kosovo to face identity theft, access device fraud, and money laundering charges in the Western District of Pennsylvania for their roles as the alleged administrators of the Rydox cybercrime marketplace, an illicit website dedicated to selling stolen personal information, access devices, and other tools for carrying out cybercrime and fraud. The Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania are handling the prosecution.
- Rene Javier Santos Alfaro, 53, a Honduran citizen, was extradited from Honduras to stand trial in the Southern District of Florida for drug trafficking offenses. Santos Alfaro is an alleged leader of a drug trafficking organization based in Honduras that was allegedly responsible for importing large quantities of cocaine from Honduras directly into Miami via commercial aircraft.
- Cristian Eduardo Garcia Jerez, 36, a Colombian national, was extradited from Colombia to face drug trafficking charges in the Northern District of Georgia. Garcia Jerez is alleged to have owned two cocaine processing laboratories and coordinated the manufacturing of cocaine in Colombia and the smuggling of cocaine from Colombia into the United States.
- Jose Guillermo Granja Rojas, 36, a Mexican national, was extradited from Colombia to face a money laundering conspiracy charge in the Northern District of Georgia. Granja Rojas was allegedly a money launderer for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) who collected hundreds of thousands of dollars of proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the United States and transferred them to Mexico. DTO members directed the deposit of drug proceeds into accounts allegedly controlled by Granja Rojas, and Granja Rojas also allegedly traveled from Mexico to the United States to receive cash drug proceeds in person.
- Tien Vy Tai Truong, 46, an alleged leader of a transnational drug trafficking organization, was extradited from Thailand to face conspiracy to export methamphetamine charges in a 2024 indictment filed in the Central District of California. Truong is alleged to have engaged in negotiations with a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confidential human source to export about 200 pounds of methamphetamine from the United States to Australia for sale.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the defendants’ arrests and extraditions along with the U.S. Marshals Service. OIA and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions from Colombia. The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) also provided assistance with the extraditions from Kosovo. The Justice Department thanks and acknowledges the instrumental role of its law enforcement partners in Canada, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, Kosovo, Israel, Mexico, Spain, and Thailand for making these extraditions possible.
An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice Announce Title IX Special Investigations TeamRead the Press Release
Today, amid a staggering volume of Title IX complaints, the U.S Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announce the Title IX Special Investigations Team (SIT) to ensure timely, consistent resolutions to protect students, and especially female athletes, from the pernicious effects of gender ideology in school programs and activities.
The Title IX SIT will streamline Title IX investigations by creating a specialized team of investigators from across ED and Department of Justice offices. The establishment of the Title IX SIT will allow personnel to apply a rapid resolution investigation process to the increasing volume of Title IX cases and also enable ED and the Justice Department to work together to conduct investigations that are fully prepared for ultimate Justice Department enforcement.
“Protecting women and women’s sports is a key priority for this Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This collaborative effort with the Department of Education will enable our attorneys to take comprehensive action when women’s sports or spaces are threatened and use the full power of the law to remedy any violation of women’s civil rights.”
“Today’s establishment of the Title IX SIT will benefit women and girls across this nation who have been subjected to discrimination and indignity in their educational activities,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “From day one, the Trump Administration has prioritized enforcing Title IX to protect female students and athletes. Traditionally, our Office for Civil Rights (OCR) takes months, even years, to complete Title IX investigations. OCR under this Administration has moved faster than it ever has, and the Title IX SIT will ensure even more rapid and consistent investigations. To all the entities that continue to allow men to compete in women’s sports and use women’s intimate facilities: there’s a new sheriff in town. We will not allow you to get away with denying women's civil rights any longer.”
The Title IX SIT includes:
- ED Office for Civil Rights investigators and attorneys
- DOJ Civil Rights Division attorneys
- ED Office of General Counsel attorneys
- ED Student Privacy and Protection Office case workers and an FSA Enforcement investigator
Background:
President Trump’s Executive Order Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports articulates United States policy, consistent with Title IX, to protect female student athletes from having “to compete with or against or having to appear unclothed before males.” President Trump’s Executive Order Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism states the truth that “The erasure of sex in language and policy has a corrosive impact not just on women but on the validity of the entire American system.”
Readout: Justice Department Hosts Roundtables to Address Competition Issues in the Entertainment Industry and Unfair Practices in the Labor MarketRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division hosted two roundtables today to meet with key stakeholders and market participants to discuss competition issues in the entertainment industry and to identify harmful labor market conduct and how these impact American workers.
In the first roundtable discussion, Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater convened members of Teamsters Local 25 and Local 804 and legal experts. Roundtable participants shared their personal stories and detailed ways that non-compete agreements, no poach agreements and other forms of unfair practices impact their livelihood. Legal experts, worker advocates and labor economists provided their insightful perspective and strategies to protect American workers.
In the second roundtable discussion, Assistant Attorney General Slater heard from market participants, advocates and policymakers about unfair practices in the live entertainment market.
Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater meets with members of Teamsters Local 25 and Local 804 Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater meets with market participants, advocates, and policymakers in the live entertainment marketAttorney General Pamela Bondi Statement on Supreme Court VictoryRead the Press Release
Following tonight’s ruling in Department of Education v. California, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement:
“Today marks a significant victory for President Trump and the rule of law. This Supreme Court ruling vindicates what the Department of Justice has been arguing for months: local district judges do not have the jurisdiction to seize control of taxpayer dollars, force the government to pay out billions, or unilaterally halt President Trump’s policy agenda. Department of Justice attorneys will continue fighting to protect the executive branch from gross judicial overreach.”
Read the full filing here.
Arizona Man Convicted of Crimes Arising Out of Plot Targeting Christian ChurchesRead the Press Release
After an 11-day trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Zimnako Salah, 45, of Phoenix, Arizona, convicting him of strapping a backpack around the toilet of a Christian church in Roseville, California, with the intent to convey a hoax bomb threat and to obstruct the free exercise of religion of the congregants who worshipped there. The jury’s verdict included a special finding Salah targeted the church because of the religion of the people who worshipped there, making the offense a hate crime.
According to the evidence at trial, from September to November of 2023, Salah traveled to four Christian churches in Arizona, California, and Colorado, wearing black backpacks. At two of those churches, Salah planted those backpacks, placing congregants in fear that they contained bombs. At the other two churches, Salah was confronted by security before he got the chance to plant those backpacks.
While Salah had been making bomb threats by planting backpacks in Christian churches, he had been building a bomb capable of fitting in a backpack. During a search of his storage unit, an FBI Bomb Technician seized items that an FBI Bomb Expert testified at trial served as component parts of an improvised explosive device (IED).
A search of Salah’s social media records revealed that he had consumed extremist propaganda online. Specifically, those records showed that Salah had searched for videos of “Infidels dying,” and he had watched videos depicting ISIS terrorists murdering people.
“This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The perpetrator of this abhorrent hate crime against Christians will face severe punishment.”
“Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank for this defendant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of federal and local law enforcement and the attorneys from my office and our DOJ partners in Washington D.C., our communities are safer with yesterday’s verdict. People of all religions should be able to worship freely and exercise their First Amendment rights in this country without fear of violence.”
“The Sacramento Division of the FBI is proud of our collaboration with local partners in bringing Mr. Salah to justice. His deliberate targeting of multiple places of worship and calculated efforts to spread panic were intended to terrorize people of faith and disrupt the peace of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to protecting the American people and will continue to work within the confines of the law to hold individuals accountable for acts of terrorism whether those acts are true threats or intended as hoaxes.”
Salah faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Salah is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Roseville (CA) Police Department, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Harbor Police Department, and the Arapahoe County (CO) Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Shea Kenny for the Eastern District of California.
Transnational Manager for Colombia’s Clan del Golfo Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Colombian national and lieutenant for Clan del Golfo (CDG) pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine destined for the United States.
According to court documents, Fabian Edilson Torres Caranton, also known as David and Cassius, 53, served as a coordinator, intermediary, and lieutenant for the Bloque Roberto Vargas Gutierrez of CDG — a Colombian paramilitary and multibillion-dollar Transnational Criminal Organization. CDG is one of Colombia’s largest and most powerful drug cartels with its membership in the thousands. CDG’s primary source of income is from cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its paramilitary activities.
According to court documents, in July 2018, Torres Caranton and an individual seeking to broker the purchase of cocaine on behalf of Mexican buyers, attended a meeting with another member of CDG at a ranch in or near Caucasia, Colombia. During the meeting, the other CDG member authorized the production of 500 kilograms of cocaine to be transported from Colombia into and through Central America for delivery to Mexican buyers for final delivery to the United States. Torres Caranton spent several days monitoring the cocaine production at a clandestine laboratory in Coralito, Colombia. Torres Caranton and his co-conspirators made two controlled deliveries of cocaine to an undercover officer: 191 kilograms on Sept. 16, 2018, in Valledupar, Colombia, and 172 kilograms on Oct. 16, 2018, in Cartagena, Colombia. Torres Caranton knew the purported Mexican buyers intended to distribute the cocaine in Houston, Texas.
Torres Caranton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine for unlawful importation into the United States from Colombia. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 4 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota worked with law enforcement partners in Colombia to secure the arrest and December 2023 extradition of Torres Caranton.
Trial Attorney Douglas Meisel and Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
President Donald J. Trump Intends to Nominate Individuals to Key Posts at the Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
Today the Department of Justice is proud to announce President Trump’s intent to nominate Stanley Woodward to serve as Associate Attorney General, and Elliot Gaiser to serve as Assistant Attorney General for The Office of Legal Counsel.
Stanley Woodward (The Office of the Associate Attorney General)
Most recently, Stanley served as Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor to the President. Stanley is a high-profile litigator and co-founder of Brand Woodward Law, LP, where he represented numerous prestigious clients in complex, high-stakes litigation, including multiple federal jury trials. Previously, he worked at a multinational law firm where his experience included the representation of multiple international corporations in defense of alleged violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act as well as serving as coordinating counsel to companies involved in nationwide federal litigation.
In 2018, he was awarded the D.C. Bar’s Laura N. Rinaldi Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year award for his efforts leading the firm’s Housing Law practice, providing legal counsel to tenants across the District of Columbia facing eviction. Stanley has served as an adjunct professor with the Catholic University Columbus School of Law and has also taught trial advocacy in Namibia with Lawyers Without Borders. He clerked for judges on the D.C. Court of Appeals and the D.C. Superior Court and earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science from American University, as well as his Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.
Elliot Gaiser (The Office of Legal Counsel)
Elliot presently serves as the Solicitor General of Ohio. Prior to his appointment as Solicitor General by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Elliot was an associate at Jones Day in Columbus, Ohio. He previously worked as an associate at Boyden Gray in Washington, D.C.
Elliot clerked for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. of the Supreme Court of the United States; Judge Neomi Rao of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit; and Judge Edith H. Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and Hillsdale College.
Minnesota Man Sentenced for Advertising and Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse over the Dark WebRead the Press Release
A Minnesota man was sentenced yesterday to 21 years and 10 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) found in his apartment and for using the dark web to advertise and distribute CSAM images and videos.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Craig James Myran, 47, of Bemidji, was an active participant on a website only accessible through the dark web that was dedicated to discussing and trafficking CSAM. For years, he used an account with a unique username to make over a thousand posts in which he shared images of CSAM. In at least one post, Myran requested specific files of known CSAM from other users that he disturbingly referred to as his “holy grail.” In another post, he advertised over 100 images depicting the sadomasochistic sexual abuse of two prepubescent minors. On Dec. 8, 2022, FBI special agents executed a search warrant on Myran’s apartment in Bemidji, where they found a cell phone and numerous hard drives that contained evidence that he used the dark web to advertise, publish, and solicit CSAM. Agents also found thousands of other CSAM images.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Myran’s sexual exploitation of minors was not limited to his activity on just one particular dark-web site. He was simultaneously an active participant on multiple other dark-web sites dedicated to trafficking in CSAM, and he previously made posts on the dark web about producing his own CSAM by screen-recording minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct during online webcam interactions. On Nov. 20, 2024, a federal jury convicted Myran on two counts of advertising child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick for the District of Minnesota; and Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green for the District of Minnesota prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Louisiana Chiropractor Convicted of Health Care Fraud and Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Louisiana chiropractor yesterday for his role in health care fraud and unemployment insurance fraud schemes totaling millions of dollars.
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) at schools, public events, and on social media to receive chiropractic massages, which he misleadingly advertised as “free.” Tekippe would then routinely bill BCBSLA for chiropractic services he did not perform. In total, Tekippe fraudulently submitted over $2.3 million in claims to BCBSLA for services not performed and was reimbursed approximately $740,000 by the insurance provider. The fraudulent claims sought payment for thousands of chiropractic services purportedly provided by Tekippe during periods when he was out of the office, traveling on vacation, or incarcerated for past arrests. The evidence also showed that in response to a medical records request from a BCBSLA auditor, Tekippe fabricated patient records and instructed his staff to write them in their own handwriting to make it falsely appear that the services had been performed as billed. Evidence at trial showed that Tekippe spent the fraud proceeds on, among other things, luxury goods and gambling.
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.
Tekippe was convicted of six counts of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count and 10 years in prison on each health care fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office; 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 are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 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.
High Ranking MS-13 Leader and Fugitive Wanted for Multiple Murders Found and Arrested in Long IslandRead the Press Release
Last night, a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, was arrested in New York for his alleged role in a conspiracy responsible for 11 murders.
Joel Vargas-Escobar, also known as Momia, was indicted the District of Nevada and charged with racketeering conspiracy that involved 11 murders. Vargas-Escobar is also charged with two counts of murder-in-aid of racketeering and associated firearms charges. Vargas-Escobar – who previously had been deported to El Salvador and illegally re-entered the United States – had been a fugitive from justice for nearly four years.
“The American people are safer following the arrest of yet another MS-13 leader thanks to the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Joint Task Force Vulcan,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This terrorist entered our country illegally and is accused of orchestrating 11 murders — under President Trump’s leadership, we will not rest until this terrorist organization is completely dismantled and its members are behind bars.”
“The arrest of yet another violent and dangerous MS-13 leader is a major win for our FBI agents, law enforcement partners, and safer American streets,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Our agents and analysts are continuously coordinating across multiple field offices and investigating with our valued partners to keep this work going — and we will not stop until that work is done.”
According to court documents, MS-13 is a national and transnational gang composed largely of individuals of Salvadoran or other Central American descent. MS-13 has more than 10,000 members regularly conducting gang activities in at least 10 states and Washington, D.C., with thousands more conducting gang activities in Central America and Mexico. MS-13 operates through the use of intimidation and violence, including murder, and enriching members and associates through criminal activities, including breaking into houses and stealing firearms, jewelry, cash, and other items of value, and selling narcotics. MS-13 is organized by subsets known as “cliques,” and each clique typically has one or more leaders, commonly referred to as “shot callers.”
Vargas-Escobar and his co-defendants are allegedly part of MS-13’s command and control structure in Las Vegas and California and exercised significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations. The indictment charges members of the “Parkview” clique of MS-13 with committing 11 murders over about a year in Nevada and California. According to the indictment, many of the victims were allegedly kidnapped by MS-13 members and taken to remote locations in the mountains and desert where they were tortured and killed.
Vargas-Escobar was the alleged leader of the Parkview clique of MS-13 in Las Vegas and personally ordered two of the charged murders. He was deported to El Salvador in 2018 but illegally re-entered the country.
The arrest operation was coordinated by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division in Washington, D.C., with support from the FBI’s Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York field offices, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, and Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV).
JTFV, which was created in 2019 to destroy MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua, is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern District of New York; the Eastern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; the Southern District of Texas; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; HSI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Vargas-Escobar appeared this morning for his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York – Central Islip. He was ordered detained and will be transferred to the District of Nevada for trial. If convicted, Vargas-Escobar faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Christopher Taylor and Justin Bish from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanee Smith and Steven Rose for the District of Nevada, with substantial assistance from Joint Task Force Vulcan Deputy Director Jeremy Franker, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hammond Woman Sentenced to 84 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Debra L. Moore, 54 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distributing methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Moore was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Moore and her son, co-defendant Erik Patrick Grant, conspired to distribute methamphetamine between November 2022 and July 2023. While Grant was detained at the Porter County Jail, Moore assumed control of her son’s methamphetamine dealing operation, selling the drug on multiple occasions. Moore was arrested at a motel in Schererville, Indiana, where law enforcement recovered methamphetamine, a digital scale, and baggies.
On December 3, 2024, co-defendant Grant was sentenced to 168 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.
Four South Carolina Defendants Sentenced for Armed Robberies, Carjacking, and Civil Rights Crimes Targeting HispanicsRead the Press Release
Three South Carolina men and one woman were sentenced on Feb. 3, March 13, and April 1, for violent crimes targeting Hispanics in Columbia, South Carolina. Charles Antonio Clippard, 27, was sentenced to 420 months in prison; Michael Joseph Knox, 29, was sentenced to 303 months in prison; Gabriel Brunson, 21, was sentenced to 100 months in prison; and Sierra Fletcher, 34, was sentenced to 200 months in prison.
All four defendants previously pleaded guilty to carjacking, conspiracy, firearms, and criminal civil rights charges in connection with the string of armed robberies. According to court documents, beginning in January 2021 and continuing through February 2021, the four defendants conspired to target Hispanic victims for armed robberies. The group would wait for their victims at gas stations and grocery stores and then follow them to their homes or other locations to rob their victims at gunpoint. All four defendants admitted their involvement in a Jan. 30, 2021, armed robbery and carjacking targeting a Hispanic victim after following him from a gas station to his home. In another series of robberies on Jan. 30, 2021, three members of the group carjacked one victim, and invaded the home of another group of victims. The group stole cash, cellphones, driver’s licenses, and credit cards from multiple victims.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Columbia Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Garner for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorneys Katherine McCallister and Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.