District Not Recorded
The source did not name an office we could identify. These records remain unassigned rather than guessed.
Bovine Artificial Insemination Manager Pleads Guilty to Multi-Year Bid-Rigging ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A South Carolina manager of a bovine artificial insemination firm pleaded guilty today to rigging bids for the purchase of cattle used either for the direct production of semen or for the development of animals for future semen production.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ohio, Herbert D. Lutz, 56, of Chester, SC pleaded guilty to conspiring to rig bids between at least as early as October 2018 and at least as late as May 2024. In advance of cattle auctions, Lutz and his co-conspirators agreed which company would win the bid. During the sales, the agreed-upon losing firm would either not bid or would submit an intentionally-losing bid before bowing out to permit the agreed-upon winner to prevail. Through the efforts of Lutz and his co-conspirators, Lutz’s employer was able to acquire cattle worth over $1.6 million through rigged sales.
Bovine artificial insemination firms produce, market, and sell bovine semen for artificial insemination, research, and genomics. As part of their business, such firms purchase cattle from third parties, including through competitive public auctions, either for the direct production of semen for sale or to develop animals for future production.
“The tireless work of our Nation’s ranchers and farmers is essential to everyday affordability for all Americans,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “This Department of Justice will never stand for collusion that cheats hardworking, honest producers and raises prices for American families putting food on the table. Collusion and bid rigging is criminal, and we will prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Collusion in the agricultural industry ultimately leads to higher food prices for consumers,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division is dedicated to stamping out such collusion and prosecuting those responsible, thereby ensuring that our food supply remains affordable and plentiful for all Americans.”
“Bid rigging harms not only consumers, but also hard-working ranchers and farmers who are cheated out of competitive prices for their cattle,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Salvador Gonzalez of the Agriculture Department’s Office of Inspector General Midwest Field Office. “We will continue to work alongside our partners at the Antitrust Division to safeguard the rural way of life from corporate greed.”
Lutz is the first defendant to be charged and to plead guilty in the ongoing investigation into bid rigging in the bovine artificial insemination industry. Lutz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rig bids in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for corporations is a $100 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation, or other antitrust and competition crimes, should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center by visiting www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
Justice Department Withdraws Business Review Letter Issued to Proxy Advisory FirmRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division (“Antitrust Division”) is withdrawing a 1987 Business Review Letter (the “1987 BRL” or the “Letter”) issued to Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”). ISS is a foreign-owned proxy advisory firm that advises its clients on how to vote shares their clients hold for thousands of corporate governance questions each year. ISS and Glass, Lewis & Co. LLC (“Glass Lewis”), control more than 90 percent of the proxy advisory market and their clients’ holdings represent a significant ownership stake in the United States’ largest publicly traded companies. As a result of this concentration of market power, ISS and Glass Lewis have tremendous influence in corporate governance matters and, based on their market dominance, shape the policies of America’s largest companies.
At the time that the Antitrust Division issued its 1987 BRL to ISS, proxy advising as an industry was in its infancy. The Letter noted that, based on the understanding that ISS “will offer advice only on matters relating to the exercise of voting rights on issues of corporate governance, and that ISS will not provide advice or engage in discussions with respect to the corporate operations or business activities,” the Department of Justice “ha[d] no current intention to bring action under the antitrust laws to enjoin the establishment and operation of ISS.” The 1987 BRL did not address corporate consulting services, which ISS now offers in connection with proxy voting services. ISS’s business model is now in direct conflict with the language in the Letter. ISS is, in fact, now providing advice with respect to corporate operations. In so doing, ISS wields enormous influence over corporate governance issues and policies through its proxy voting services.
A Business Review Letter “states only the enforcement intention of the Antitrust Division as of the date of the letter, and the Division remains completely free to bring whatever action or proceeding it subsequently comes to believe is required by the public interest.” While the 1987 BRL stated the Division’s enforcement intention at that time, the Letter is not applicable to ISS’s current business practice of corporate consulting services. These issues were not a part of ISS’s original business model and are outside the scope of the 1987 BRL. Indeed, the representation at the time that ISS would not “provide or engage in discussions with respect to the corporate operations or business activities” may run contrary to ISS’s business model today. The 1987 BRL expressly qualified the Antitrust Division’s enforcement position to exclude services directed at corporate operations or activities. The Department of Justice has since clarified that while antitrust safe harbors for passive investment protect most beneficial corporate governance advocacy, they do not protect the use of commonly held stock in competitors to encourage market-wide reductions in output or other anticompetitive conduct.[1]
To be clear, proxy advising is not inherently problematic and the lawful exercise of voting rights pursuant to a proxy advisor recommendation does not raise competition concerns. The Antitrust Division is withdrawing its 1987 BRL because the Letter does not reflect ISS’s current business practices or the Antitrust Division’s view of those practices. Moreover, the concentration of market power in the proxy advisory market raises significant competition concerns.
The Antitrust Division has previously recognized potential competitive concerns in the proxy advisory industry. In 2020, the Division filed comments before the Securities and Exchange Commission in a rulemaking process about proxy voting advice.[2]
The Antitrust Division is committed to protecting the rights of all Americans, including by promoting competition, reducing barriers to entry, and ensuring full compliance with the antitrust laws in the proxy advisory market.
[1] DOJ Press Release, Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission File Statement of Interest on Anticompetitive Uses of Common Shareholdings to Discourage Coal Production (May 22, 2025; see also Statement of Interest of the Federal Trade Commission and the United States of America, Texas v. BlackRock, No. 6:24-cv-00437-JDK (E.D. Tex.), ECF No. 99 (May 22, 2025), https://www.justice.gov/atr/media/1401251/dl?inline.
[2] Comments of the United States Department of Justice, In the Matter of Release No. 34-87457, File No. S7-22-19 Amendments to Exemptions from the Proxy Rules for Proxy Voting Advice, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (Feb. 5, 2020), https://www.justice.gov/atr/page/file/1243656/dl?inline.
Justice Department Sues Pennsylvania Landlord for Sexual Harassment in HousingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Venkatachalam Mani, a landlord in State College, Pennsylvania, for sexually harassing a female tenant and retaliating against her when she refused his advances, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
“The landlord failed to fix a tenant’s furnace despite freezing temperatures because the female tenant refused his sexual advances, forcing her family to move out with no other place to live,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This conduct is illegal. The Justice Department will uphold the rights of female tenants to housing without the threat of sexual harassment by a landlord.”
“Attempts to exploit tenants for sexual favors, sexual assault, and retaliation by landlords will never be tolerated in the Middle District of Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, alleges that Mr. Mani made sexual advances toward a female tenant, including unwelcome sexual touching. After the tenant rejected his advances, Mr. Mani failed to respond to the tenant’s repeated requests for maintenance, including repairing a broken furnace in the middle of winter that eventually caught fire. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for the tenant and her children and a court order barring future discrimination.
The case was referred to the Department after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development received a complaint, completed an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This complaint is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers, and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the Department has filed 53 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered approximately $19 million for victims of such harassment.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Connecticut Children’s to End Pediatric “Gender-Affirming Care”Read the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced another resolution with a leading children’s medical center arising from the Department’s ongoing national investigation into violations of federal law in connection with the provision of sex-rejecting procedures on minors (otherwise known as “gender-affirming care”). Connecticut Children’s Medical Center has entered into agreements with the Department that entail a commitment not to perform sex-rejecting procedures on minors—including by administering puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to and performing surgeries on children and adolescents. Connecticut Children’s has also agreed to pay a monetary penalty and dedicate an additional $500,000 in medical care for individuals living with the harmful consequences of “gender affirming care.”
“The Department of Justice will stop at nothing to protect America’s children,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “This resolution is a reminder to hospitals, medical providers, and pharmaceutical companies that the Justice Department will vigorously enforce federal law, especially where the lives of children are endangered.”
Today’s announcement follows similar agreements with Texas Children’s Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. In working towards this resolution, the United States acknowledged that Connecticut Children’s took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperation with the Department in its investigation. At all times during the investigation, Connecticut Children’s remained cooperative, proactive, and solution-driven, as highlighted by its financial commitment to providing restorative care to the victims who desperately need it.
“As with Texas Children’s and Cleveland Clinic before it, I am encouraged when leading institutions like Connecticut Children’s agree to be part of the solution and no longer the problem,” said Brett Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. “But while we can be grateful when we arrive at such positive resolutions, we cannot and will not rest in our pursuit of justice for the victims of these discredited practices.”
“This resolution reaffirms our unwavering commitment to safeguarding America’s children,” said Ryan Raybould, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. “When unsafe medical practices put minors at risk or violate federal law, the Department will act swiftly and decisively to protect them and hold every institution accountable.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and the Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The claims resolved by the United States in the agreements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Connecticut Children’s has denied all allegations.
Maple Hill Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Eugene James, 48, to 10 years in federal prison. On January 29, 2026, James pleaded guilty to distribution of 5 grams or more of meth and fentanyl.
“We will continue to focus on individuals who sell drugs that poison our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “He is old enough to know better already, but he has 10 years to think about being a productive member of society when he gets out of prison.”
In 2024, federal and local authorities investigated a drug trafficking organization operating in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The group, which included James, distributed meth, cocaine, crack, and fentanyl across the counties of Pender, Onslow, and New Hanover. Between February and April 2024, the ATF, New Hanover Sheriff’s Office, Wilmington and Jacksonville Police Departments purchased fentanyl and meth from James using investigative methods at a home in Maple Hill. On May 6, 2025, federal and county authorities arrested Eugene at a home in Onslow County, where they found a small amount of narcotics and several firearms.
James has several prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, discharging a firearm into occupied property, and conspiring to distribute and possess crack cocaine with intent to distribute, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
“This investigation is a testament to the dedication and commitment of law enforcement to ensuring the safety of our communities by removing dangerous narcotics from our streets and the offenders who bring them into our communities. It also highlights effectiveness of cooperation between Federal, State and Local partners,” said Jacksonville Police Department Chief, Ashley Weaver.
This prosecution is part of Operation Counterpunch which is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Wilmington comprises agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, NCIS, US Coast Guard, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, Dare County Sheriff’s Office, Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, Wilmington Police Department, State Bureau of Investigations, and NC Department of Public Safety with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of N.C.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The ATF, DEA, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Pender County Sheriff’s Office, Wilmington Police Department, and Jacksonville Police Department investigated the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-00035-M-RN.
Civil Rights Division Secures Settlement with OpenAI for Discriminating Against U.S. WorkersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it has secured a combined $3,200,000 settlement with OpenAI OpCo LLC, a San Francisco, California-based artificial intelligence company, and its subsidiary, Statsig Inc., a Bellevue, Washington-based software development company (together, OpenAI). The settlement addresses allegations that both companies violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against U.S. workers and instead preferred workers with temporary employment visas, when the companies hired and recruited during the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) process.
“It is illegal to discriminate against U.S. workers by preferring temporary visa holders for jobs,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This substantial settlement ensures that OpenAI redresses harm and changes its recruitment practices so that U.S. workers receive a fair opportunity for highly sought-after technology positions.”
The Department’s investigation found that OpenAI did not advertise positions it sought to fill through the PERM program on its external job website, even though its standard practice was to do so with other jobs. OpenAI also required applicants to mail paper applications for positions advertised as part of PERM recruitment, even though the company permitted electronic applications for other positions. In addition, OpenAI took other steps to discourage U.S. workers from applying, such as advertising positions on the radio late at night. While there were fewer than ten PERM positions at issue, the resolution amount reflects the harm to U.S. workers when they are shut out of applying for lucrative technology jobs.
Under the terms of the settlement, OpenAI will pay $1,200,000 in civil penalties to the United States and establish a back-pay fund of $2,000,000 to compensate victims of the companies’ discriminatory practices. In addition, OpenAI will give U.S. workers fair opportunities to apply for jobs as part of PERM recruitment by posting the positions on its public career website and accepting electronic applications. The agreement also requires OpenAI to train its personnel on the INA’s anti-discrimination requirements, revise its employment policies, and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements, to prevent future discrimination.
The PERM program allows employers to sponsor workers for permanent resident status if the companies perform good-faith recruitment, but cannot find qualified U.S. workers. However, during this process, companies cannot illegally discriminate against U.S. workers based on their citizenship status.
This settlement is the thirteenth settlement since the Department re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative in 2025 to enforce the INA’s prohibition on citizenship status discrimination against companies that illegally discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of those with employment visas. Under these settlements, the Department obtains civil penalties for each violation and will continue to seek the maximum penalty permitted by law. The settlements may involve awards of back pay, when warranted. They also require employers to conduct comprehensive training for relevant staff and recruiters and cease restricting consideration for job opportunities based on workers’ citizenship status without a lawful reason.
For information about additional settlements under the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, visit IER’s website.
For informal assistance, the public can call IER’s free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers, 1-800-255-8155 for employers, or 1-800-237-2515 TTY for hearing impaired, between 9am and 5pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email [email protected]; or visit www.justice.gov/ier.
Justice Department Sues Montgomery County, MD for Violating Supreme Court’s Wolford DecisionRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department filed suit against Montgomery County, Maryland (County). The complaint alleges that the County’s newly enacted Bill 23-26 violates the Second Amendment by prohibiting law-abiding citizens from possessing firearms in daily life. Bill 23-26 prohibits carrying firearms at thousands of locations, and also creates an arbitrary 100-yard exclusion zone around each location. The law applies even if the person carrying a firearm is duly licensed and has the express consent of the property owner.
“The Second Amendment does not allow local governments to ban law-abiding citizens from carrying firearms in public places as they go about their daily lives,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Montgomery County makes it almost impossible for a law-abiding citizen with a valid carry license to walk down the street and avoid these exclusion zones. The Civil Rights Division will not stand idle while Montgomery County tramples the rights guaranteed to law-abiding citizens by the Second Amendment.”
The breadth of Bill 23-26’s prohibition, including the 100-yard exclusion zone, makes it practically impossible for individuals in the County to go about their daily business while lawfully carrying a firearm. Therefore, the ordinance violates the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Wolford v. Lopez, where the Court held a law that bans citizens from carrying firearms into, “places that people routinely visit in the course of their daily routines . . . hobbles what the Second Amendment protects: the right of Americans to carry arms for self-defense as they go about their daily lives.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Second Amendment Section enforces the Second Amendment, the Police Pattern or Practice Act (34 U.S.C. § 12601), and Executive Order 14206. If you are a current or prospective gun owner and believe that a state or local government has infringed your right to keep or bear arms, please submit a complaint through https://www.justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.
Justice Department Files Record 25 Denaturalization Cases Against Naturalized Criminals Including Attempted Murderers, Spousal Abusers, and Child Sex OffendersRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it filed denaturalization actions in various U.S. district courts against 25 individuals accused of serious offenses — including attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, and aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. The complaints were filed between July 20 and Aug. 3, 2026. Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Justice Department has filed 123 civil denaturalization complaints, the most in recorded history.
“U.S. citizenship is one of our nation's highest privileges, and it must be obtained lawfully and honestly,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The complaints announced today allege that these individuals secured naturalization through fraud, concealment, or other unlawful conduct — including by concealing violent crimes, sexual offenses against children, fraudulent identities, and other disqualifying facts. Today's filings represent the largest coordinated denaturalization effort in Department history, but they are only the beginning. The Justice Department will continue to use every tool available to protect the integrity of the naturalization process and the safety of the American people.”
“Today marks the largest denaturalization surge in recorded history,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Every one of these individuals committed crimes incompatible with U.S. citizenship. We are moving at record speed to denaturalize those who sought to deceive the federal government and abuse the naturalization process.”
- Zia Murad Bhatti (Pakistan/Age 59): On July 24, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking the denaturalization of Zia Murad Bhatti, also known as Raza Moorad, a resident of Conway, Arkansas, because he committed immigration fraud in his naturalization proceedings. Bhatti illegally entered the United States in 1992 using the name Raza Moorad. He was ordered removed, but he did not depart the United States. Instead, he married a United States citizen and sought permanent resident status, based on the marriage, using the name Zia Murad Bhatti. In naturalization proceedings, he concealed the fact that he used another identity and was ordered removed. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Bhatti’s naturalization because he committed fraud in seeking permanent resident status, provided false testimony and committed unlawful acts when he lied under penalty of perjury in naturalization proceedings, and procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Eastern District of Arkansas).
- Tatiana Power (Moldova/Age 46): On July 22, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Tatiana Power, a resident of Weston, Florida, because she committed crimes involving the sexual abuse of children before she became a U.S. citizen. Power entered the United States in 2005 and naturalized in 2010. In 2021, she was charged with several counts related to her participation in a business selling images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children on numerous websites. In criminal proceedings she admitted that she became involved in the illegal enterprise before she became a citizen. In 2022, she was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h), for her efforts in concealing proceeds from the unlawful activity. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Power’s naturalization because her criminal acts and her false testimony in naturalization proceedings rendered her unable to demonstrate the required good moral character for naturalization and because she procured her naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Southern District of Florida).
- Narinder Singh (India/Age 65): On July 20, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of Delaware seeking the denaturalization of Narinder Singh for using a fraudulent identity to gain admission to the United States. Singh used two identities to gain admission to the U.S. beginning in 1996 and naturalized as a U.S. citizen on May 1, 2008. The complaint alleges seven counts for his numerous misrepresentations and unlawful acts that adversely reflect his moral character. (District of Delaware).
- Emigdio Sanchez (Mexico/Age 62): On July 22, the United States filed a case in the District of South Carolina seeking the denaturalization of Emigdio Sanchez, who, beat and choked his wife, was arrested for such conduct, and they lied about it to immigration authorities. On Aug. 16, 1998, Mr. Sanchez beat his wife so severely, she was hospitalized. He was arrested for this violent assault the following day, and later pled guilty to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. Yet on Sept. 17, 1998, when Mr. Sanchez filled out paperwork related to his naturalization application, and was specifically asked whether he had been arrested or engaged in any criminal conduct since he first submitted his naturalization application, Mr. Sanchez lied, and wrote “no.” Mr. Sanchez’s violent assault upon his wife rendered him ineligible to naturalize, and had he disclosed his criminal conduct, that bar would have been apparent. The United States filed a three-count complaint against Mr. Sanchez seeking his denaturalization, including claims that he lacked the good moral character to naturalize and made material misrepresentations to immigration authorities. (District of South Carolina).
- Louisa Fernandez Ordonez (Colombia/Age 54): On July 20, the Department of Justice filed an action in the Northern District of Georgia seeking the denaturalization of Luisa Fernanda Ordonez because she failed to disclose in her naturalization proceedings that she obtained her permanent residence as a result of marriage fraud and that she was married to two men simultaneously. In 2000, Ms. Ordonez paid a U.S. citizen to marry her so that she could procure her permanent residence. Ms. Ordonez had no intention of establishing a marital relationship with this man, nor did she. Instead, in 2003, she married another man, without first divorcing her first husband. At no point during her naturalization proceedings did Mr. Ordonez disclose that her marriage to her first husband was entered into solely to obtain an immigration benefit. Neither did she disclose that she had married someone else. The United States seeks the denaturalization of Ms. Ordonez in a five-count complaint alleging she illegally procured her naturalization because she was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, she was statutorily ineligible to apply for naturalization when she did, and because she made various false statements and misrepresentations in her immigration proceedings. (Northern District of Georgia).
- Jonathan Omorogieva Obasohan (Nigeria/Age 56): On July 21, the United States filed a case in the District of Massachusetts seeking the denaturalization of Jonathan Omorogieva Obasohan because he obtained his citizenship under a fake identify, after he was already subject to an order of deportation under his true identify. Before Mr. Obasohan, a native of Nigeria, became a permanent resident and later naturalized as a U.S. citizen under the name Jonathan Omorogieva Obasohan, he was previously ordered to be deported from the United States under the name Tinosa Joe Aigbedion. At no point during his naturalization proceedings did Mr. Obasohan disclose that he previously used the name Tinosa Joe Aigbedion or that he had a current order of deportation pending against him. The United States has filed a five-count complaint against Mr. Obasohan seeking his denaturalization on the grounds that he was statutorily ineligible to naturalize, never lawfully obtained his permanent residence, and made numerous material misstatements to immigration officials. (District of Massachusetts).
- Enos Fong Korti (Liberia/Age 51): On July 29, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of Minnesota seeking the denaturalization of Enos Fong Korti, a native of Liberia. Mr. Korti immigrated to the United States as the unmarried child of a U.S. citizen. However, Korti was married and ineligible to immigrate under that status, so Mr. Korti lied about his marital status to immigration officials during the visa process to hide his ineligibility. When it came time to naturalize, Korti falsely claimed that he had never lied to U.S. officials. As a result, Mr. Korti was naturalized. The United States is seeking to revoke Mr. Korti’s citizenship because he was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, because he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations, and because he lacked the good moral character necessary to naturalize. (District of Minnesota).
- Yetunde Folake Olaniyi (Nigeria/Age 56): On July 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Yetunde Folake Olaniyi, also known as Folake Rosemary Thomas, a native of Nigeria. Olaniyi was ordered removed from the United States and rather than report for her scheduled removal flight, she adopted the identity of Folake Rosemary Thomas and entered into a sham marriage with a U.S. citizen, notwithstanding that she was already married to another Nigerian citizen. Through this sham marriage and by concealing her true identity, Olaniyi was granted a green card through her spouse. Three years later, Olaniyi naturalized as Folake Rosemary Thomas. In 2014, Olaniyi (as Thomas) was convicted in federal court for passport fraud after fingerprint checks revealed her true identity to be Olaniyi. The seven-count civil Complaint alleges Olaniyi was ineligible for a spousal green card and naturalization through her spouse because her marriage to the U.S. citizen was both a sham and legally invalid, that Olaniyi obtained her naturalization through a litany of willful misrepresentations of material facts, and that Olaniyi lacked the requisite good moral character required for naturalization. (District of Maryland).
- Mohd Wasif, also known as Mohammad Khanwasif (Pakistan/Age 56 or 58): On August 3, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a case in the Eastern District of Texas seeking to revoke the multiple naturalizations that Mohd Wasif, also known as Mohammad Khanwasif obtained under multiple identities. As Mohd Wasif, this individual obtained permanent residence in the U.S. by lying about his eligibility for that benefit. Then, while waiting for approval of that application, this individual applied for permanent residence under the different identity of Mohammad Khanwasif. Then, during his naturalization proceedings as Mohd Wasif, he lied about having provided false information to immigration officials to obtain permanent resident status and concealed his use of a second identity as Mohammad Khanwasif. During his naturalization proceedings as Mohammad Khanwasif, he similarly concealed his fraud and use of other identities. Because this individual did not obtain either of his naturalizations lawfully, but procured them instead by repeatedly lying, the United States now seeks to revoke both of those naturalizations. (Eastern District of Texas)
- Esther Quayle (Ghana/Age 50): On July 29, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Middle District of Tennessee seeking the denaturalization of Esther Quayle. Quayle, a native of Ghana, acquired a green card in the United States through her spouse, who had stolen the identity of a United States citizen. As a result of her husband’s identity theft and Quayle’s nondisclosure of her husband’s true identity and citizenship, Quayle was granted naturalization. Because Quayle was not married to a real U.S. citizen, she was ineligible for citizenship because she was not lawfully admitted to permanent residence. Further, because Quayle misrepresented her spouse’s true name and citizenship status in her naturalization proceedings, she obtained naturalization through a concealment or willful misrepresentation of a material fact, provided false testimony disqualifying her from citizenship, and lacked the good moral character necessary to naturalize. (Middle District of Tennessee).
- Dwyane Robinson (Jamaica/Age 44): On July 21, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Eastern District of North Carolina against Dwyane Robinson, who shot and attempted to murder another man, leading to his conviction for attempted first degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. On Dec. 31, 2013, while awaiting trial, Defendant was discharged from the U.S. Army. Defendant had earlier obtained his U.S. citizenship on the basis of his military service, but because he was discharged under other than honorable conditions prior to serving honorably in the military for a total of five years, he is subject to denaturalization. (Eastern District of North Carolina).
- Yi Lee (Taiwan/Age 46): On July 22, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of New Mexico seeking the denaturalization of Yi Lee because he masterminded a marriage fraud ring prior to naturalizing. From January 2016 to on or about May 2017, Lee conspired with exploit U.S. immigration laws by uniting U.S. citizens with alien beneficiaries in sham marriages. Lee coordinated a payment schedule to the U.S. citizen conspirators and coached participants through the application process, including preparing them for immigration interviews. In 2017, Lee pled guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. Lee illegally procured his naturalization as a U.S. citizen because his crime precluded the required good moral character to naturalize. Also, Lee falsely testified under oath and misrepresented and concealed facts that were material to determining his naturalization eligibility. (District of New Mexico).
- Eddie Jones Appah (Ghana/Age 66 or 67): On July 30, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of New Jersey seeking the denaturalization of Mr. Eddie Jones Appah because he failed to disclose in his naturalization proceedings that he had already entered and been deported under a prior identity. He is charged with illegal procurement of naturalization by providing false testimony during his proceedings and for procuring his U.S. citizenship after misrepresenting and concealing material facts. (District of New Jersey).
- Jose Luis Martinez-Zavala (Mexico/Age 80): On July 27, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Western District of Texas seeking the denaturalization of Jose Luis Martinez-Zavala, who failed to disclose in his naturalization proceedings that he had previously sexually assaulted a minor. Martinez-Zavala naturalized in 2014 by hiding from the Government that in 2010 he had committed Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, in violation of Texas Penal Code Ann. § 22.021(a)(2)(B), a first-degree felony. In 2020, he pleaded guilty to and was convicted of that offense in Travis County, Texas. The complaint charges Martinez-Zavala with being ineligible to naturalize because, during the statutory period when he was required to show he had good moral character, he committed that crime and the additional offenses of making false statements, of falsely swearing in an immigration matter, and of perjuring himself when he submitted his Naturalization Application and again during his Naturalization Interview when he falsely stated and swore that he had not committed any crime for which he had not been arrested. The complaint further claims Martinez-Zavala was ineligible to naturalize because he provided false testimony during the same statutory period. Finally, the complaint alleges that Martinez-Zavala procured his naturalization by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentations about his criminal history. (Western District of Texas).
- Vivian Chike Obichere (Nigeria/Age 72): On July 30, the Department of Justice filed a denaturalization action in the Northern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Vivian Chike Obichere. Ms. Obichere is a native of Nigeria who naturalized as a United States citizen in 2013, and represented throughout her naturalization proceedings that she had never committed crimes for which she was not arrested, had used only one alias while in the United States, had not taken trips outside of the United States during the relevant period, and had never given misleading information to any United States official. However, she later pled guilty to False Application and Use of a Passport, and admitted the falsity of all of those attestations. Specifically, Ms. Obichere admitted that she had concealed, during her naturalization proceedings, that she had previously applied for and used a passport with the name and identifying information of another person, who was a United States citizen. Accordingly, the Department of Justice is pursuing revocation of Ms. Obichere’s naturalization on three counts related to her statutory ineligibility for denaturalization as a person barred from establishing good moral character, and one count of illegal procurement of naturalization by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. (Northern District of California).
- Jose Francisco Cruz (Honduras/Age 72): On July 31, the Department of Justice filed a denaturalization action in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Jose Francisco Cruz. On or between December 28, 1995 and June 6, 1998, Cruz sexually abused his minor stepdaughter, while he was in a position of familial or custodial authority over her. Cruz naturalized as a U.S. citizen on Feb. 20, 1996. On or about Feb. 22, 1999, Cruz pled guilty in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial District, Palm Beach County, Florida, to three counts of Sexual Activity with a Child in violation of section 794.011(8)(b), Florida Statutes, in full satisfaction of the Third Amended Information. On or about Feb. 22, 1999,Cruz was sentenced to a 16-year term of imprisonment. Cruz was also required to register as a sex offender. Cruz illegally procured his naturalization as a United States citizen because his crime precluded the required good moral character to naturalize. Also, during the naturalization process, Cruz willfully misrepresented and concealed his involvement in unlawful sexual acts with his minor stepdaughter. (Southern District of Florida).
- Francois Nguessi Dame (Cameroon/Age 65): On July 30, the Department of Justice filed a suit in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Francois Nguessi Dame because he illegally procured his naturalization and obtained his naturalization by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. From December 2008 to March 2015, Mr. Dame sexually abused his minor stepdaughter from the time she was ten until she was sixteen. After Mr. Dame naturalized in August 2014, he was convicted for multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor in May 2017. He never disclosed the conduct underlying those convictions during the naturalization process. Accordingly, OIL seeks to pursue denaturalization of Mr. Dame for both illegal procurement (failure to show good moral character due to unlawful acts and false testimony) and concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentations relating to that conduct. (District of Maryland).
- Haitham A. Mustafa (Jordan/Age 58): On July 29, the Department of Justice filed a denaturalization action in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Haitham A. Mustafa, alleging that he failed to disclose in his naturalization proceedings that he engaged in credit card fraud using false names. Beginning in November 1999 and continuing until after his May 2001 naturalization, Mustafa engaged in credit card fraud using fraudulently obtained credit cards using at least one false name. This fraud scheme also coincided with a bank fraud scheme that occurred after his naturalization. Following his guilty plea, in May 2006, Mustafa was found guilty of one count of credit card fraud and one count of bank fraud, in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1644(a) and 18 U.S.C. § 1344. He was sentenced to a term of twenty-five months’ imprisonment to be served concurrently and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $146,646.43 to all victims of his fraud scheme. Mustafa illegally obtained his naturalization as a United States citizen because credit card fraud is a crime that adversely reflects on his moral character. Moreover, Mustafa misrepresented and concealed material facts to obtain his naturalization. (Southern District of Florida).
- Jairo Javier Pedron Tellez (Cuba/Age 29): On July 31, the Department of Justice filed a denaturalization action in the Southern District of Florida, seeking denaturalization of Jairo Javier Pedron Tellez because he failed to disclose in his naturalization proceedings that he conspired to commit bank fraud and engaged in aggravated identity theft prior to naturalizing. Beginning in April 2015, and continuing through September 2017, Mr. Pedron conspired with others to defraud financial institutions by illegally obtaining envelopes and parcels from United States Post Office collection boxes with the intent to obtain, alter, and cash or deposit checks contained in those envelopes and parcels. In total, Mr. Pedron and his coconspirators illegally obtained nearly $175,000 through this scheme. The Department seeks Mr. Pedron’s denaturalization because he illegally obtained his naturalization due to his unlawful acts and because he provided false testimony during his naturalization. The Department also seeks Mr. Pedron’s denaturalization because he obtained his naturalization through willful misrepresentation or concealment of material facts during his naturalization. (Southern District of Florida).
- Carlos Ernesto Giron (El Salvador/Age 65): On July 29, the Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland against Carloe Ernesto Giron. In 2019, Mr. Giron pled guilty and was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor for criminal acts he committed against two minors between 2005 and 2010. Mr. Giron lied about his criminal conduct in connection with his application to become a naturalized United States citizen. The United States has filed a three-count complaint against Mr. Giron seeking his denaturalization because he allegedly obtained that status through willful misrepresentation of material facts, false testimony, and because his criminal acts against minors precluded him from demonstrating good moral character. (District of Maryland).
- Juan Camilo Montoya (Colombia/Age 34): On July 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Juan Camilo Montoya because he was dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps before accruing the necessary period of honorable conduct after naturalizing, and because he lied in order to naturalize. Montoya naturalized via military service, which requires a five-year period of honorable conduct. But Montoya pleaded guilty via court-martial to possession and distribution of child pornography before that period had passed, which tainted his entire service and left him open to denaturalization. Further, Montoya swore under oath during his naturalization process that he had never been arrested, detained, or cited by law enforcement, but he had been cited by Maryland police for a prior drug-related offense. The denaturalization complaint, containing the above allegations, charges Montoya with being ineligible to naturalize because, during the statutory period when he was required to show he had good moral character, he gave false testimony to procure an immigration benefit. The complaint further charges Montoya as being amenable to denaturalization for being a naturalized citizen who was dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps without accruing five years of honorable service. (District of Maryland).
- Cantave Previlon (Haiti/Age 63): On July 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Florida, seeking to revoke the naturalization of Cantave Previlon. In July 2007, Previlon, began having sexual intercourse with his minor biological child, against the child’s will, and he concealed this crime during his naturalization proceedings. After naturalizing, Previlon provided a sworn statement admitting to the offense and was convicted in Florida of sexual battery, victim over twelve years old but less than eighteen years old, while in a position of familial or custodial authority over the victim, and sexual battery, victim over twelve years old but less than eighteen years old, without consent. The denaturalization complaint filed against Previlon alleges that he is subject to denaturalization because, during the period in which he was statutorily required to demonstrate good moral character, he committed crimes involving moral turpitude, committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on his moral character, and provided false testimony about his crime. Additionally, Previlon willfully mispresented the material fact of his crime during his naturalization proceedings. (Southern District of Florida).
- Syed Tanweer Ahmad, also known as Timothy Syed Andersson, also known as Tanweer Ahmad Syed (Sweden/Age 82): On July 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Northern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Syed Tanweer Ahmad, who failed to disclose in his naturalization proceedings that he had committed grand theft against multiple victims and falsely represented for years — both to the public and to his victims — that he was a medical practitioner. In 2011, Ahmad pleaded guilty to these offenses, and the California Superior Court, County of San Francisco, convicted Ahmad of 64 separate criminal violations, including 30 counts of Practicing Medicine without a License; 30 counts of Grand Theft; one count of Perjury, and three counts of Forgery. As a result of these crimes, the court sentenced Ahmad to six years in state prison. The four-count denaturalization complaint alleges that Ahmad illegally procured his citizenship because he lacked the good moral character required for naturalization given his crime of moral turpitude, unlawful acts, and false testimony under oath during the naturalization process; and because he procured U.S. citizenship through the concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Northern District of California).
- Miguel Eduardo Romero (El Salvador/Age 67): On July 31, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the United States District Court in Baltimore, Maryland, against Miguel Eduardo Romero, a native of El Salvador. Before he became a U.S. citizen, Mr. Romero, over the course of several years, repeatedly sexually abused a minor, his granddaughter, while she was in his care. He concealed and lied about this behavior during his naturalization proceedings. The United States has brought three claims against Mr. Romero seeking his denaturalization, including claims that he lacked the good moral character to become a U.S. citizen and that he knowingly lied to immigration authorities. (District of Maryland).
- Manuel Antonio La Rosa-Lopez (Age 68/Peru): On July 22, 2026, the United States brought a denaturalization action against Manuel Antonio La Rosa-Lopez. La Rosa-Lopez, who lived in the Houston, Texas area, received his naturalization based on his representation in his application that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested. In fact, prior to his naturalization application, La Rosa-Lopez had committed acts constituting indecency with a child under the Texas penal code. La Rosa-Lopez was charged after his naturalization, pled guilty to two felony counts, and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. The United States filed a complaint seeking to denaturalize La Rosa-Lopez because the material misrepresentation on his naturalization application made him ineligible to become a United States citizen.
The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: This release has been updated from a previous version.
Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities to Advance Public Safety Efforts Across Tribal NationsRead the Press Release
Note: View Notice of Funding Opportunity here.
The Justice Department today announced the opening of the Fiscal Year 2026 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for comprehensive funding to American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes to develop comprehensive approaches to public safety and victimization issues.
The department anticipates awarding more than $107 million in grant funding. Administered by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), The NOFO includes guidance on how federally recognized Tribal governments and Tribal consortia can apply for funding to aid in the development of a comprehensive and coordinated approach to public safety and victimization.
“The Department is dedicated to promoting public safety and supporting victims in Tribal Nations,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “Through these grant funding opportunities, tribes can receive support to develop comprehensive plans that identify gaps, strengthen coordination and address the underlying conditions that contribute to criminal and social disorder. This Department is proud to contribute resources to ensuring the overall success and improvement of tribal justice systems.”
This NOFO responds directly to Tribal leaders’ requests to improve and simplify the DOJ grant-making process by combining many of its Tribal government-specific funding opportunities into one NOFO and requiring only one application. CTAS funding can be used for a range of public safety and justice-related projects and services, including strengthening law enforcement through hiring, training, and purchasing equipment; improving Tribal justice systems to address and prevent crime; improving justice system physical infrastructure; increasing access to substance use treatment and recovery support services; and reducing juvenile delinquency and improving youth outcomes. In addition, the grants serve American Indian and Alaska Native victims of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence and elder abuse.
In FY 2025, the department awarded 108 CTAS grants, amounting to more than $99 million in CTAS funding to Tribes and Tribal consortia across the United States.
The grants.gov application deadline for CTAS is Oct. 15, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. ET, and the JustGrants deadline is Oct. 22, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. ET.
The department will also facilitate a series of webinars to guide applicants through the application process. The full list of available webinars and registration links are available here.
About the Office of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime; promote fair and impartial administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking or SMART Office – can be found at ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Orienting Police
The COPS Office is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing and the Administration’s priority of Making America Safe Again by supporting the nation’s state, local, territorial and Tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.
Brother of Notorious Mexican Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to International Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
A Mexican national pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for unlawful importation into the United States, and using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, 67, of Michoacán, Mexico, trafficked cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States for Mexico-based cartels for over two decades. From around 2002 to 2010, Oseguera Cervantes operated as a member of the Milenio Cartel in Jalisco, Mexico, overseeing narcotics sales, protecting territories from rival cartels, and supervising and maintaining the operations of methamphetamine laboratories. He procured precursor chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine and distributed methamphetamine and cocaine destined for the United States.
The court filings state that since around 2010, Oseguera Cervantes worked with and reported directly to his notorious and now-deceased brother, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “Mencho,” who co-founded and led the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The CJNG is one of the most prolific and dangerous drug cartels in Mexico, based in the State of Jalisco, which traffics multi-tonnage quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States. Oseguera Cervantes furthered CJNG’s drug trafficking operations, including by supplying precursor chemicals to CJNG methamphetamine laboratories and distributing cocaine and methamphetamine for the CJNG. He also collected drug proceeds and managed CJNG’s money laundering activities, such as transferring drug proceeds from the United States to Mexico through currency exchange locations. When collecting drug proceeds or attending meetings to discuss drug trafficking, Oseguera Cervantes armed himself with a pistol.
Oseguera Cervantes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine destined to the United States, as well as using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of two consecutive life sentences in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Administrator Terrance C. Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit Los Angeles is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance to Oseguera Cervantes’ February 2025 transfer from Mexico to the United States pursuant to Mexico’s National Security law. The Department of Justice thanks the Government of Mexico for its assistance in securing Oseguera Cervantes’ presence in the United States for prosecution.
Chief Kaitlin Sahni of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit (NDDU) and Trial Attorneys Lernik Begian, Douglas Meisel, and Nicole Lockhart, of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Southwest Georgia Man Sentenced on Federal Dog Fighting, Firearms, and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Dun Terrius Bradford, of Sale City, Georgia, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison after being convicted in December of 69 counts of illegally possessing dogs for fighting purposes, one count of manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of those offenses. In addition to the prison sentence, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia also imposed five years of supervised release and $6900 in mandatory assessment. The 67 pit bull-type dogs rescued from Bradford’s residence were, at the time, the third-most dogs rescued in any federal case. This case also marks the nation’s first federal conviction for possessing firearms in furtherance of dog fighting.
One of 67 dogs rescued from Bradford’s residence.“Dog fighting is organized crime, and it’s a magnet for other criminal activity, as this case demonstrates,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Americans detest animal cruelty and the illegal drugs and guns that come with it. The Department of Justice is fighting to get these criminal elements out of our neighborhoods.”
“Dog fighting is a grave act of animal cruelty that breeds crime and depravity, bringing illegal drugs, firearms and violence into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia. “This first-ever federal conviction for possessing firearms in furtherance of dog fighting demonstrates our commitment to working with law enforcement partners to dismantle these criminal organizations and protect both animals and the communities they harm.”
“This investigation exposed a dangerous criminal operation involving organized dog fighting activities that inflicted horrific abuse on animals while also serving as a breeding ground for other serious criminal activity such as the narcotics and firearms violations that this defendant engaged in,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Inspector General John Walk. “This case demonstrates USDA OIG’s commitment to aggressively pursuing those who profit from animal cruelty, and we thank our law enforcement partners and the prosecutors who worked with us to ensure this defendant was held accountable.”
“This case demonstrates the good results achieved when local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate to rescue dogs suffering at the hands of those involved in dog fighting and related crimes,” said Acting U.S. Marshal Joseph “Joe” Chapman for the Middle District of Georgia. “The U.S. Marshals remain committed to supporting law enforcement in bringing those responsible for dog fighting to justice and ensuring that rescued canines are placed in protective custody, giving them a chance at a better life.”
According to court documents and trial evidence submitted in this case, Bradford maintained a stock of 67 fighting dogs at his home in Sale City. At this compound, agents also recovered tools and supplies used in the training and keeping of dogs used for fighting, including: blood-splattered treadmills that had been modified to hold dogs in place conditioning; injectable veterinary steroids; a homemade “breeding stand” used to immobilize female dogs too aggressive for breeding; a cattle shock prod with dog DNA on the tip; and a large cinder-block water tank used to tether dogs that had to tread water to keep from drowning. Officers also recovered cocaine base and the pot in which it was cooked, plus four firearms.
Water tank used to train dogs. Blood-spattered treadmill used to train dogs.Under federal law, it is illegal to fight dogs in a venture that affects interstate commerce and to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase, or receive dogs for fighting purposes. This case was the first in the nation in which prosecutors obtained a federal conviction for possessing firearms in furtherance of dog fighting.
USDA-OIG and the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Criminal Chief Leah McEwen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and former Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrill and Paralegal Kristi Cote for the Middle District of Georgia handled a parallel civil forfeiture proceeding to ensure that the dogs did not have to be returned to Bradford. The Seized Canine Program of the U.S. Marshals Service cared for the rescued dogs pending legal process.
Justice Department’s Fraud Division Announces Unprecedented Fraud Enforcement Actions in Southeast Resulting from Federal–State PartnershipsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division today announced a series of significant fraud enforcement actions across the Southeastern United States, the product of robust federal-state partnerships with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The charges announced today encompass 17 cases spanning the seven states. These recent cases involve over $350 million in intended losses and include cases involving SNAP benefits, Small Business Administration loans, housing benefits, and tax fraud. From July 4 alone, federal prosecutors charged cases reaching over $90 million in loss and implicating 12 named defendants. The Division separately announced the formation of federal-state anti-fraud task forces in North Carolina, Mississippi, and Florida.
The Division additionally announced new federal-state cooperation agreements with this group of states to strengthen ongoing fraud enforcement efforts, following a recent roundtable that brought together 18 U.S. Attorneys Offices, seven State Attorneys General Offices, five federal law enforcement partners, and over 50 state officials.
“Defeating the fraud epidemic in our country requires all-hands-on-deck from our federal and state partners nationwide,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Whether it’s sharing intelligence, data, personnel, or priorities, partnering with state agencies directly strengthens our ability to identify those stealing taxpayer dollars. When federal prosecutors work alongside state agencies to root out fraud, fraudsters lose and the American people win.”
“Working alongside our federal and interstate partners, we are committed to combating fraud at every level. Our collaborative partnerships allowed us to uncover more than $20 million in Medicaid fraud claims during an operation known as Operation Border Wars,” said South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. “My office also recently indicted six individuals accused of defrauding taxpayers and stealing jobs from hardworking South Carolinians by providing counterfeit employment documents to illegal aliens. The rule of law means something in South Carolina, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these schemes and prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.”
“We appreciate the Trump Administration's commitment to rooting out fraud in government healthcare programs, including the creation of a dedicated state-federal partnership to lead this fight,” said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. “Thanks to the Administration’s serious commitment to ending waste, fraud, and abuse, we now have the tools and coordination needed to identify bad actors and hold them accountable. Together, we are protecting the integrity of Medicaid and the taxpayer dollars that fund it.”
“With the help of the Trump administration, the states are fighting back against benefits fraud,” said Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murill. “Since taking office, my administration has secured more than 100 convictions and $73 million in court-ordered restitution. Under the leadership of Acting Attorney General Blanche, Director Patel, and Administrator Oz, our partnership is holding criminals accountable and delivering real results for the taxpayers of Louisiana and the nation.”
“President Trump has challenged all of us to step up our efforts to fight fraud and protect American taxpayers from this grift,” said Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “Partnerships like this one show that we are bringing everything to the table in this work. In that spirit, with the support of the U.S. Department of Justice, my office is standing up Joint Task Force Vigilance with our two U.S. Attorneys and the FBI to surge resources and personnel to make Mississippi safer, protect Mississippi taxpayers, and restore law and order. This first-of-its-kind task force will bring the full authority of our offices to bear on con artists, grifters, fraudsters, and scammers.”
Building a National Model of Federal-State Cooperation
In connection with these fraud enforcement actions, the Fraud Division, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, federal law enforcement officials, and state partners announced the following innovative steps to enhance federal–state cooperation to detect, investigate, and prosecute fraud:
- The Fraud Division and Secretaries of State from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina as well as State Treasurers from Florida, Mississippi, and South Carolina announced data sharing agreements that provide the Fraud Division access to publicly available corporate registration and public benefits payment data held by these state agencies. This data will help the Fraud Division proactively identify connections and patterns across both business entities and public benefits payment activity — cutting through the shell companies, layered structures, and complex financial trails that fraudsters rely on to conceal control and carry out largescale schemes.
Federal and State Partners Represented at the 2026 Southeast Fraud Enforcement Partnership Event
Alabama: Secretary of State Wes Allen and Chief Examiner Rachel Riddle.
Florida: Attorney General James Uthmeier, Secretary of State Cord Byrd, and Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia.
Georgia: Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Louisiana: Attorney General Liz Murrill, Secretary of State Nancy Landry, Auditor Michael Waguespack, and Inspector General Angele Davis.
Mississippi: Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Secretary of State Michael Watson, Auditor Shad White, and Treasurer David McRae.
North Carolina: Attorney General Jeff Jackson and Auditor Dave Boliek.
South Carolina: Governor Henry McMaster, Attorney General Alan Wilson, Secretary of State Mark Hammond, Treasurer Curtis Loftis, Inspector General Sean Fay, and Director for South Carolina Department of Social Services Tony Catone.
U.S. Attorneys Offices: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama, Northern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, Middle District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, and District of South Carolina.
Federal Agencies: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, FBI Assistant Director Heith Janke, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Director James Harris, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General William Kirk, and USDA Inspector General John Walk.
These partnerships and actions demonstrate how state and federal partners can work together to strengthen fraud detection, share information, and accelerate enforcement efforts nationwide. The Department encourages every state across the country to partner with the Fraud Division on similar efforts.
Federal and State Partners Represented at the 2026 Southeast Fraud Enforcement Partnership EventCases
Alabama
Northern District of Alabama led by U.S. Attorney Phillip Williams, United States vs. Michael Shine. Michael Shine is a tax preparer based in the Birmingham area who owns and operates Shine’s Professional Services. He has filed and caused to be filed literally thousands of tax returns falsely claiming energy tax credits that were baseless and fraudulent, causing almost $70 million in loss as charged in a complaint.
Example of "Self-Prepared" Attestation Seized During Search Warrant From United States vs. Michael Shine.Middle District of Alabama led by U.S. Attorney Thomas Govan, United States v Kevin Padgett et al. Kevin Padgett and co-defendants were charged in a mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy in connection with their scheme to sell approximately $7 million counterfeit U.S. Postage Stamps.
Southern District of Alabama led by U.S. Attorney Sean Costello, United States v. Nia Bradley, et al. Five defendants, Nia Bradley, Randy Burden, Steve Jones, Larry Knight, and Dejuan Lamar, board members and employees of the Prichard, Alabama Water and Sewer Works, created false invoices for work that was never performed and created fictitious construction companies for the purpose of defrauding the utility for a total loss amount of roughly $2.5 million.
Florida
Northern District of Florida led by U.S. Attorney John Heekin, United States v. Lekishaan Huggins. The former manager of the Tallahassee Housing Authority used former tenants’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to fraudulently obtain U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rent subsidies for a total case loss of just over $500,000. As charged, Huggins used fraudulently obtained funds to sustain her luxurious lifestyle, including vacations, buying luxury apparel and jewelry, and having a celebrity chef cater her private Christmas party.
Middle District of Florida led by U.S. Attorney Greg Kehoe, United States vs. Daniel Liburdi. Daniel Liburdi pled guilty in the Middle District of Florida to filing a false tax return and agreed to restitution of nearly $35 million and forfeiture including multiple properties in Miami Beach and the U.S. Virgin Islands and three luxury vehicles (Land Rover Range Rover, a Ferrari 812 and a Ferrari F8).
Alleged Ferrari 812 and Ferrari F8 vehicles from United States vs. Daniel Liburdi. Alleged Virgin Islands property from United States vs. Daniel Liburdi. Alleged Miami Beach property from United States vs. Daniel Liburdi.Southern District of Florida led by U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones, United States vs. Rajaie Ali et al. Defendants Rajaie Ahmad Ali, Sami Jamhour, Cristian Amaro, and Adel Amro concocted a scheme to use willing food stamp recipients to sell their EBT stamp benefits at a discounted rate for cash. The scheme, launched in 2019, caused nearly $20 million in fraudulent EBT transactions at a Kwik Stop convenience store in Miami. Two of the indicted co-conspirators are foreign nationals. Defendant Ali is even subject to a final order of removal from the United States.
Alleged Kwik Stop location responsible for multi-millions in SNAP Benefits Fraud from United States vs. Rajaie Ali et al.Georgia
Northern District of Georgia led by U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg, United States v. Ian Patrick Jackson. Defendant Ian Patrick Jackson pled guilty for running a fraud and money laundering scheme that stole more than $3 million in CARES Act funds administered by the SBA in the form of PPP and EIDL loans. Jackson has twice been convicted of previous fraud felonies, recruited at least nine business owners into his scheme to submit fraudulent applications, and spent the proceeds on personal expenses, including restaurant dining, spa services, phone and credit card bills, and travel to California, Texas, and Aruba.
Southern District of Georgia led by U.S. Attorney Meg Heap, United States v Melanie Charise Thompson and Toriono Laselle Byrd. Defendant Thompson was indicted for orchestrating a scheme to defraud the Hinesville Housing Authority (HHA) of millions of dollars by using HHA funds to pay her former boyfriend for work that he never completed or paid him far in excess of what he should have been paid for work that was completed, sometimes in return for kickbacks. Purchases from fraud proceeds included custom jewelry worth over $100,000, a gold bracelet, a diamond ring, a Porsche Panamera, a Cadillac Escalade, a Bently Flying Spur, real estate, a hot tub, and tickets to a Janet Jackson concert, reaching nearly $3 million in loss.
Louisiana
Eastern District of Louisiana led by U.S. Attorney David Courcelle, United States vs. Spivey. Spivey was sentenced for his role in a conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Spivey conspired with his codefendant, Jamie McNamara, to fraudulently submit $174 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic testing and cardiovascular genetic testing. The genetic tests Medicare patients were lured into did not provide them with any answers on their predisposition to life threatening illnesses and cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
Western District of Louisiana led by U.S. Attorney Zach Keller, United States v Patel et. al. Defendants, including former law enforcement officials, spent nearly 10 years manufacturing false crime reports as part of a visa-fraud scheme. The operation netted the officers $5,000 per “victim” and helped hundreds of foreign nationals secure U visas for false crimes.
Middle District of Louisiana led by U.S. Attorney Kurt Wall, United States v Chakesha Scott et al., Chakesha Scott was the CEO of Impact Charter School in Baker Louisiana, which received state and federal funds. Instead of using those funds to benefit the students, Scott and her indicted co-conspirators diverted nearly $1.5 million in federal funds to pay off family members for overinflated contracting invoices, buying herself luxury vehicles, and even paying for her personal travel expenses.
Scott on personal travel in Egypt allegedly using taxpayer funds from United States v Chakesha Scott et al.Mississippi
Northern District of Mississippi led by U.S. Attorney Scott Leary, United States v. Lakieth Faulkner et al. Lakeith Faulkner was an attorney and an employee of the Small Business Administration (SBA) who, as a part of his actual job, worked with borrowers and was uniquely positioned to understand the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) approval process. Faulkner devised a kickback scheme with co-conspirators including Tierra Scott, a former IRS employee, to generate more than $11.5 million in fraudulent loan payments by the SBA.
Southern District of Mississippi led by U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger, United States v. Qadir Shabazz, et al. As alleged, federal inmates housed at the Yazoo Federal Correctional Complex conspired to steal unemployment insurance benefits and EIDL funds using falsified identities, generating approximately $4.3 million in losses. Trial is set for February 2027.
North Carolina
Western District of North Carolina led by U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson, United States v. Dumitru. Two Romanian brothers illegally in the United States pled guilty to wire fraud charging them with orchestrating a fraud scheme involving SNAP benefits affecting victims across multiple states, causing nearly $766,000 in loss. A victim reported that she was shopping with her family on their monthly grocery run for approximately $700 of SNAP-eligible items. Because the defendants had used her SNAP benefits, the transaction was denied, and the victim was unable to purchase food or school supplies for her family.
Middle District of North Carolina led by U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop, United States v. Adedayo Afolabi Fateru. Fateru pled guilty as a member of a money laundering ring involving proceeds of various fraud schemes including false applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and false applications for unemployment benefits. He caused nearly $1.7 million in loss.
Eastern District of North Carolina led by U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle, United States v. Mitchell et al. A Robeson County woman (along with seven co-conspirators) who was the owner of a North Carolina tax return preparation business pled guilty to conspiring to prepare false returns claiming fraudulent refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits, causing nearly $25 million in loss.
South Carolina
District of South Carolina led by U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling, United States v. Misty Dawn Woody. Misty Dawn Woody was charged by indictment for making false statements relating to healthcare matters. In her role as an employee for Vital Care, a medical patient transport service, Woody allegedly copied and forged a physician’s signature on over one hundred certification forms for patients that were no longer under that physician’s care. She submitted those forms to Medicare causing over $1.8 million in false and fraudulent billing.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Department of Justice Files First Case in U.S. Alien Terrorist Removal Court to Deport Afghan Alien Who Supported Her Family’s Plans for Election-Day ShootingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department has filed the first-ever case in the U.S. Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), seeking to remove Nazira Haji Zada, 47, residing in Fort Worth, Texas. Zada, the matriarch of an alien Afghan family, is being removed for her role in a plot to commit an ISIS-inspired mass shooting on Election Day in 2024 for which her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, were previously arrested and convicted. The application to remove Nazira Haji Zada was filed on July 15. Zada was arrested earlier this week and will appear before the ATRC’s Chief Judge Joan N. Ericksen in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, July 30, at 11:00 a.m.
“Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court three decades ago to remove from the United States alien terrorists who never should have been here in the first place,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family aiding in a plot to launch a mass casualty attack on American voters on Election Day. The Department’s application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America.”
“This is a historic step asking this court for the first time to remove an individual from the United States who supported a plot by ISIS-sympathizing family members to commit an act of terrorism in America,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “No one should be allowed to come into our country and then betray it. The FBI and our Justice Department partners will not hesitate to use all available resources to protect the American people.”
“The ATRC embodies the recognition that the government should not have to choose between allowing a dangerous alien to remain in the United States and disclosing sensitive classified information in a traditional removal proceeding,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We will use all the tools at our disposal, including this court, to remove foreign nationals who betray our values and exploit our goodwill by supporting ISIS and terrorist plots.”
Tawhedi and Abdullah Haji Zada were arrested on Oct. 7, 2024, after purchasing the firearms and ammunition to be used in the Election Day attack from an undercover FBI employee. Nazira’s son Abdullah, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, Abdullah stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Abdullah acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status. Abdullah also waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum.
Tawhedi, 28, pled guilty on June 13, 2025 to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism, and is awaiting sentencing.
According to court documents, Tawhedi admitted that between June 2024 and October 2024, he conspired with at least one other individual to purchase two AK-47 rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition, and 10 magazines, with the intent to carry out a mass-casualty attack on or around Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, on behalf of ISIS. According to a criminal complaint affidavit filed in the case, Tawhedi communicated with an ISIS facilitator about his plan to purchase firearms for use in the terror plot, including asking the individual whether 500 rounds of ammunition would be sufficient.
According to the criminal complaint, to raise funds for their attack, in 2024, the family also started selling off their property, including furniture, computers, a mobile phone, and the family’s two vehicles. Nazia signed a contract to sell the family house. The family also purchased one-way airfare for Nazira to take the children (but not Abdullah and Tawhedi) to Kabul, Afghanistan shortly before the planned Election Day shooting.
The ATRC is a specialized federal court, which Congress established in 1996. The court has jurisdiction to remove alien terrorists swiftly from the United States, when the government establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that an alien is a terrorist. See Title Eight, United States Code, Sections 1227(a)(4)(B), 1531(1), and 1534(g). The Court is comprised of U.S. federal district court judges confirmed to the judiciary pursuant to Article III of the United States Constitution, and are then appointed to the ATRC by the Chief Justice of the United States. See Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1531 to 1537.
The court allows the government to use classified information, where disclosing that information to the public would pose risks to national security. The statutory provisions that establish the court provide paid counsel to the aliens if necessary and also permit either party to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
This removal proceeding reflects the coordinated efforts of multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Hayden O’Byrne of the National Security Division is leading the litigation, with assistance from Deputy Chief Larry Schneider and Trial Attorneys Anna Donnell and Evan Schultz.
For more information on the ATRC and to view court documents visit: https://www.atrc.uscourts.gov/
CEO and VA Employee Plead Guilty to Paying and Receiving Illegal Health Care Kickbacks and BribesRead the Press Release
Two Florida men pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks and bribes.
According to court documents, Laurent Cassagnol, 43, and Heriberto Rivera, 43, both of Orlando, Florida, conspired to refer patients of the VA Community Care Program (VACCP) to Family Integrative Medicine of Orlando, LLC (FIMO) for acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and other holistic medical services. Rivera, the CEO of FIMO, admitted to paying kickbacks and bribes to Cassagnol, an Advanced Medical Support Assistant for VACCP, in exchange for Cassagnol steering VA patients to FIMO for medical services. Cassagnol admitted to accepting Rivera’s payments. As a result of the conspiracy, the VA and VACCP was billed for over $14 million in claims that were procured through the payment of kickbacks and bribes, of which over $11 million was paid. The investigation was the result of a complaint made to the VA Office of the Inspector General (VA-OIG) fraud hotline.
Cassagnol and Rivera both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks and bribes. Cassagnol and Rivera are scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; Special Agent in Charge Rodney E. Crawford of the FBI Tampa Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Wentz of the VA-OIG Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
FBI and VA-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Angela Benoit and Jody King of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Three Shreveport-Area Men Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses; Prosecutions Part of Nationwide Project Safe Neighborhoods InitiativeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT–On July 20, 2026, United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced three defendants to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. All three defendants had pled guilty to the charges.
Cameron Boatwin, 24, of Shreveport, was sentenced to six years in prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. According to court documents, on September 29, 2025, Shreveport Police officers conducted a traffic stop on a car driven by Boatwin, who was the sole occupant. Officers saw a Palmetto State Armory Dagger Compact 9mm pistol in plain view on the driver’s seat, which Boatwin admitted to knowing he could not possess due to a prior felony conviction.
Malachi Bailey, 48, of Bossier City, was sentenced to three years in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. According to court documents, on February 10, 2026, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents executed a search warrant at a residence in Bossier City. They found a sole occupant inside, Bailey, and found approximately 635 grams of cocaine and $3,700 in US currency in the residence.
Dezjuante Lockett, 36, of Shreveport, was sentenced to two years in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. According to court documents, the Shreveport Police Street Level Interdiction Unit received complaints of illegal drug activity at a residence in Shreveport. On April 9, 2025, Shreveport Police executed a search warrant at the residence; Lockett was the sole occupant at the time the warrant was executed and admitted he was the only person who lived at the residence. A search of the residence and Lockett’s vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 33.339 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, approximately 5.332 grams of cocaine base, a digital scale and packaging material, a loaded Glock Model 19 pistol, and $5,290.00 in cash. Lockett admitted he knew he could not possess a firearm due to a prior felony conviction.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Shreveport Police Department (SPD) and ATF investigated these cases. The Boatwin case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheynne Wilson with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan. The Bailey case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Crawford with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan. The Lockett case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Foster with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Emily Favrot.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America (TBA), 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 agencies, and coordinates efforts with state and local law enforcement and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF), ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. Learn more about PSN at https://www.justice.gov/psn
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under their respective Case Numbers:
Cameron Boatwin: 5:25-cr-00334
Malachi Bailey: 5:26-cr-00091
Dezjuante Lockett: 5:25-cr-00245
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CONTACT: Public Affairs
[email protected]
United States Attorney’s Office
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Western District of Louisiana
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
High-Level Member of Clan del Golfo, a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Aimer Alberto Alvaran Posada, 52, of Colombia, was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, Alvaran Posada was a high-level member within the Western Bloc of Clan del Golfo (CDG), a Colombian paramilitary and multibillion-dollar transnational criminal organization that was designated on Dec. 16, 2025, by the Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). CDG relies on cocaine trafficking to fund its paramilitary activities. In 2018, Alvaran Posada conspired with other CDG members to produce 500 kilograms of cocaine for sale to Mexican buyers, knowing, intending, and having reasonable cause to believe that the cocaine was destined to the United States. Specifically, Alvaran Posada obtained approval from the commander of CDG’s Northern Bloc, where the cocaine transaction would be conducted, and presided over multiple meetings to coordinate the cocaine transaction. Approximately 363 kilograms of cocaine were seized as part of the operation that led to the conviction of Alvaran Posada.
While engaged in this conspiracy, Alvaran Posada was informed by Dairo Antonio Úsuga David — the former leader of CDG — that he was being considered for commanding CDG’s Western Bloc, a promotion that would have given Alvaran Posada control over a vast network of subordinates, the authority to set cocaine prices, and the responsibility to decide who could produce and transport cocaine in his territory. Instead, Alvaran Posada was arrested in 2021 pursuant to his U.S. charges and subsequently extradited to the United States. He pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking conspiracy on Aug. 27, 2025.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Colombian National Police, the FBI’s Office of the Legal Attache in Bogotá , and the Department of Justice’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá and Office of International Affairs provided critical support.
Trial Attorney Douglas Meisel of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) prosecuted the case. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Former CPA and International Fugitive to Face Charges of Failing to Report Foreign Bank Accounts and Filing False Documents with the IRSRead the Press Release
A Florida man appeared for the first time in federal court yesterday to face tax and false statement charges.
In July 2021, a federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging Brian Nelson Booker, a former resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with failing to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBARs), filing false documents with the IRS, and making false statements.
According to the second superseding indictment, Booker, a former CPA whose business specialized in international trade, owned a cocoa trading company that was organized under the laws of the Republic of Panama. Booker allegedly operated that company from Venezuela, Panama and his former residence in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For calendar years 2011 through 2013, Booker allegedly failed to disclose his interest in financial accounts located in Switzerland, Singapore and Panama on annual FBARs as required by law. Booker also allegedly filed individual income tax returns for the years 2010 through 2012 that did not report to the IRS all of Booker’s foreign bank accounts.
Booker is also charged with filing a false “Streamlined Submission” in conjunction with the IRS Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures. The IRS Streamlined Procedures allowed certain eligible taxpayers residing within the United States to voluntarily report to the IRS certain past disclosure failures. According to the second superseding indictment, Booker’s Streamlined Submission falsely claimed that his failure to report all income, pay all tax and submit all required information returns, such as FBARs, was due to non-willful conduct.
Booker allegedly left the United States in 2016 after learning about the criminal investigation against him. He lived in Russia but was never ordered to be extradited. In May 2025, Booker was arrested in Belarus, where he was detained and eventually ordered to be expelled. Booker returned to the United States on July 24th and was arrested at a Miami airport.
If convicted, Booker faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of failure to file an FBAR and false statements to the United States. He also faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing false documents with the IRS.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ex-Wife of Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to Criminal Violation of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation ActRead the Press Release
The ex-wife and current partner of a leader of the Mexican drug trafficking organization known as Los Cuinis pleaded guilty today to willfully violating counternarcotic sanctions. Los Cuinis is closely aligned with the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), which the State Department designated as a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative.
According to court documents, Wendy Dalaithy Amaral Arevalo, 45, of Mexico, committed criminal violations of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Act (Kingpin Act) by engaging in transactions and dealings in property with IMG Academy, a preparatory school and athletic training facility headquartered in Bradenton, Florida, that Amaral’s child attended. On Aug. 19, 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Amaral Arevalo for assisting the international narcotics trafficking activities of Los Cuinis, a sanctioned drug cartel. Despite Amaral Arevalo’s OFAC designation, which prohibited her from engaging in transactions or dealings within the U.S. financial system, Amaral Arevalo entered into contracts with IMG Academy for her child to attend the school and arranged for $504,497.48 in tuition payments.
On July 21, 2023, Amaral Arevalo’s ex-husband and current partner, Gerardo Gonzalez Valencia, was sentenced to life in prison for conspiring to distribute tonnage quantities of cocaine for importation into the United States. On Feb. 12, 2026, OFAC announced a $1.72 million settlement with IMG Academy for entering into yearly tuition agreements with Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) sanctioned for their ties to a sanctioned Mexico-based drug cartel and receiving and processing payments pursuant to those agreements.
“Wendy Dalaithy Amaral Arevalo willfully violated U.S. counternarcotic sanctions by funneling over half a million dollars in illicit drug proceeds as tuition payments through IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, despite being prohibited from engaging in transactions within the U.S. financial system,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Kingpin Act exists to cut off foreign narcotics traffickers, their businesses, and their operatives from engaging in transactions within the U.S. financial system, and prevents them from using American institutions to receive or move drug money. The Criminal Division will use every tool available to dismantle drug cartels, protect the American people, and ensure financial transactions in the United States are free of sanctioned drug proceeds.”
“Wendy Dalaithy Amaral Arevalo exploited a school and training facility — a place families trust to invest in their children’s futures — as a vehicle to funnel millions in illicit drug proceeds for CJNG, one of the Western Hemisphere’s most violent and destabilizing drug cartels,’’ said Administrator Terrance C. Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Her guilty plea exposes the calculated audacity and sophisticated reach of cartel financial networks operating inside the United States. DEA, alongside our law enforcement partners, remains committed to pursuing the leaders, financiers, and enablers who sustain these terrorist enterprises.”
Amaral Arevalo faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $10 million. Sentencing has been set for Dec. 2.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit Los Angeles is investigating the case. The Department of Justice thanks OFAC for its support and contributions to the case.
Chief Kaitlin Sahni of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit (NDDU) and Trial Attorneys Lernik Begian, Douglas Meisel, and Nicole Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) are prosecuting the case.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s NDDU investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.
This case is part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Corrupt Guatemalan Mayor Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Charge as Part of Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) InitiativeRead the Press Release
A former Guatemalan mayor, Romeo Ramos Cruz, 58, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to import more than five kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Ramos Cruz arrived in the United States on Aug. 4, 2025, following extradition from Guatemala, where he had been detained at the request of the United States.
According to court documents, from 2022 through 2023, Ramos Cruz served as a member of a Guatemala-based drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting cocaine intended for U.S. markets. During this time, Ramos Cruz served as the mayor of Santa Lucia municipality in Guatemala’s Escuintla Department and exploited his official position to facilitate the organization’s operations. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Ramos Cruz appointed a known drug trafficker to a high-ranking position in the municipal police force and also used his authority and access as mayor to coordinate logistics and transportation of a cocaine shipment destined for the United States, agreeing to help disguise the shipment from Venezuela to Guatemala as a donation of cement to his municipality. He prepared a letter on official municipal letterhead intended to help the shipment evade inspection by Guatemalan authorities.
Ramos Cruz faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Sentencing has been set for Dec. 2.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office (WFO) made the announcement.
The FBI WFO led U.S. investigative efforts with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Division and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs working with Guatemalan law enforcement authorities, INTERPOL, and the FBI provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Ramos Cruz to the United States.
Trial Attorneys Roger Polack and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) are prosecuting the case.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Adult Day Care Owner Pleads Guilty to $500,000 Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Michigan woman pleaded guilty today to billing Medicare for psychotherapy services that were never provided to residents of her adult day care center.
According to court documents, Yolanda Matthews, 58, of Farmington Hills, admitted to continually billing and submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for psychotherapy services that were never provided. Matthews admitted to fraudulently billing for providing services at her adult day care center during periods in which the Medicare beneficiary was actually admitted to a hospital, forging claims in the names of social workers who were no longer employed at the adult day care center, and even billing Medicare for providing psychotherapy services to beneficiaries after they had died. All told, Matthews submitted over $539,000 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare.
Matthews was charged as part of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. Matthews pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2026, 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.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jeffrey A. Crapko of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Three Individuals Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulently Billing Medicare and Medicaid Through Opioid Addiction Treatment Clinics in KentuckyRead the Press Release
A Texas businessman, a Kentucky doctor, and a Kentucky woman were sentenced to prison for their roles in fraudulently billing Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid over $4.8 million through a series of addiction treatment facilities.
Today, Michael Bregenzer, 53, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
In February 2026, José Alzadon, M.D., 62, of Paintsville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
In January 2026, Barbie Vanhoose, 63, of West Van Lear, Kentucky, was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
All three defendants were ordered to pay restitution of $812,881.09.
According to evidence presented at trial, Bregenzer, Alzadon, and Vanhoose orchestrated their health care fraud scheme through Kentucky Addiction Centers or KAC, which operated in Winchester, Paducah, Paintsville, and London, Kentucky. As part of his role as KAC’s medical director, Alzadon prescribed Suboxone, a controlled substance that is used to treat opioid addiction. Bregenzer served as KAC’s CEO and Vanhoose as KAC’s billing manager.
Together, Bregenzer, Alzadon, and Vanhoose ran a scheme that falsely billed taxpayer-funded health programs like Medicare and Medicaid for medical services that were not provided or were billed as more complex and expensive services than the services patients actually received. They also conspired to falsely bill for services in the name of Alzadon’s elderly father when the services either were not provided at all or were provided by Alzadon — who was unable to bill certain health plans as he was not credentialed as a provider with those plans. Bregenzer, Alzadon, and Vanhoose also conspired to use Alzadon’s father’s prescribing credentials, including his DEA registration number and electronic prescribing token, to prescribe Suboxone, even though Alzadon’s father had not seen the patients for whom he was supposedly issuing prescriptions.
In March 2025, Bregenzer, Alzadon, and Vanhoose were each convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, eight counts of health care fraud, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances using the registration number of another person. Alzadon and Vanhoose were also convicted of two counts of aggravated identity theft.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Scott of the DEA Louisville Division; Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kelly Blackmon of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Regional Director Joe Rivers of the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA); and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman made the announcement.
The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, DOL-EBSA, and the Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case.
The Winchester Police Department provided substantial assistance during the investigation and trial.
Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch, Sarah Edwards, and Samad Pardesi of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Prominent Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion and Mortgage FraudRead the Press Release
Thomas C. Goldstein, a prominent appellate attorney who argued more than 40 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and co-founded the widely read legal website SCOTUSblog, was sentenced to 72 months in prison today for tax crimes and mortgage fraud. The Court additionally revoked Goldstein’s bond and remanded him into custody.
“This sentence holds Thomas Goldstein accountable for cheating the tax system and lying to mortgage lenders,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Mr. Goldstein concealed millions of dollars in income, disguised income with foreign bank accounts, and manipulated his law firm’s books — all to fund his gambling and lifestyle. He then repeatedly chose not to pay taxes owed. There is no tax case too big, no scheme too complex, and no hiding place too remote for the Fraud Division.”
“Thomas Goldstein built a distinguished legal career arguing that the rule of law matters. Yet, as the evidence at trial showed, he repeatedly chose to violate that very principle for his own financial benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Every taxpayer is expected to play by the same rules, and this sentence shows that those who deliberately cheat the system and lie for financial gain will be held accountable. We thank our law enforcement partners for their work on this case, and their unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of our tax and financial systems.”
“Public prominence doesn't entitle anyone to break financial rules or secure an unfair advantage over those who follow them,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Tyler of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division. “The mortgage industry exists to serve hardworking, honest Americans, and the FBI will bring anyone who tries to exploit the system for personal gain to justice regardless of their social status.”
“Today’s sentencing is a significant step towards holding the defendant accountable for his role in abusing our tax system,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents and our law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue those who attempt to defraud our tax system and financial institutions.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Goldstein, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, was the sole owner of Goldstein & Russell, P.C., a boutique law firm specializing in appellate litigation, including litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court. Goldstein was also a high-stakes poker player, frequently playing in games involving tens of millions of dollars.
Between 2016 and 2024, Goldstein repeatedly chose not to pay taxes on time, as required by law. He also assisted in the preparation of false tax returns for himself and his law firm, and he engaged in a scheme to evade taxes for 2016. Goldstein carried out the scheme by hiding millions of dollars in poker winning from the government and his accountants, diverting legal fees to his personal bank account to satisfy poker-related debts, directing people to pay his creditors instead of sending payments directly to him, channeling gambling winnings through foreign bank accounts and causing personal payments for poker debts to be falsely classified as “legal-fee” expenses on the firm’s books and records. As a result, Goldstein underreported his income and did not pay much of the taxes that he owed, while spending millions on personal expenses such as poker, travel, and luxury goods.
In 2021, Goldstein submitted false mortgage applications to two separate mortgage lending companies, seeking financing to purchase a $2.6 million dollar home in Washington, D.C. On those mortgage applications – which required Goldstein to list all his liabilities and debts – Goldstein omitted millions of dollars of liabilities, including more than $14 million he owed for poker-related debts, as well as taxes he owed the IRS. Goldstein’s false statements to one of the mortgage lenders enabled him to obtain a $1.98 million loan.
On Feb. 25, a federal jury convicted Goldstein of tax evasion, assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, willful failure to timely pay taxes and making false statements to mortgage lenders.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby for the District of Maryland ordered Goldstein to serve five years of supervised release, pay $3,103, 427 in restitution, and ordered forfeiture but at an indeterminate amount.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Emerson Gordon-Marvin and Hayter L. Whitman of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adeyemi Adenrele for the District of Maryland, prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Four Men Plead Guilty to $2M Minnesota Medicaid FraudRead the Press Release
Four Minnesota men pleaded guilty to defrauding Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) program out of approximately $2.2 million and concealing the scheme by using artificial intelligence to create fake records when questioned by insurance companies.
This case is part of the ongoing collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota and the Health Care Fraud Strike Force to combat prolific fraud on government programs in Minnesota. It also highlights a burgeoning trend of fraudsters using artificial intelligence to further a fraud scheme targeting health care programs in Minnesota and around the country.
“These defendants corruptly exploited vulnerable people and a vulnerable program to enrich themselves,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Taxpayer dollars designed to provide shelter and support for the homeless and needy instead went to the pockets of these men. They have now admitted their fraudulent conduct and will face justice for their crimes. In the meantime, our work to stamp out fraud in Minnesota will continue in abandon.”
“Medicaid fraud is a serious offense with real consequences. These defendants stole funds intended to support vulnerable Minnesotans who rely on housing and recovery services. Their guilty pleas underscore my office’s commitment to holding accountable those who exploit public programs,” said United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents, Moktar Hassan Aden, 31, Mustafa Dayib Ali, 29, Khalid Ahmed Dayib, 26, and Abdifitah Mohamud Mohamed, 27, all of the Twin Cities area, set up Brilliant Minds Services LLC in the notorious Griggs-Midway Building in St. Paul, Minnesota, and enrolled the business as a Medicaid program provider. They promised to help people with disabilities – including seniors and people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders – find and maintain housing through the State’s now-defunct HSS program. Instead, they submitted thousands of HSS claims to Medicaid for services that were never provided or significantly inflated the claims for higher reimbursements.
Griggs-Midway Building in St. Paul, MinnesotaThe defendants, together, signed up approximately 350 people for HSS and then billed the program despite doing nothing to assist these Medicaid recipients. When asked to provide supporting documentation for their claims, the defendants fabricated records using ChatGPT in an attempt to conceal their theft. In total, from April 2022 through April 2025, the defendants stole approximately $2.2 million from Minnesota Medicaid for services they fraudulently claimed to have provided to these 350 Medicaid recipients.
In separate hearings held between July 7 and July 23, 2026, the defendants each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing dates have not yet been set by the Court.
FBI, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Raymond E. Beckering III of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Murphy for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
ENRD to Serve as Head of U.S. Delegation at Forestry Ministerial at APEC Forum in China to Grow Support for Timber Trafficking EnforcementRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General (PDAAG) Adam Gustafson of the Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) will serve as the head of the United States’ delegation for a Ministerial Meeting on Forestry, which is part of a 2026 senior officials’ meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Over the next week, PDAAG Gustafson will represent U.S. interests in emphasizing the importance of investigating and prosecuting timber trafficking crimes.
APEC economies account for over half of the world’s forests and approximately 80% of the international trade in forest products. The Forestry Ministerial meets every two or three years, and this is the first time the Justice Department will serve as head of the U.S. delegation, which will also include representatives from the State Department, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
“Timber trafficking is the third most profitable form of transnational crime, with revenue estimates ranging between $52 billion to $157 billion annually,” said PDAAG Gustafson. “The illegal timber trade is an economic and security threat to the United States and all APEC members. It hurts American businesses and revenue, market share, and good paying jobs. By sharing enforcement strategies at home and abroad, and by improving collaboration across the U.S. government, we are fighting the illegal harvest and trade of forest products. My message at APEC is simple: member economies should enforce their own laws — many of which are modeled off of the Lacey Act in the U.S. — to curtail timber trafficking.”
Domtar A.W. LLC Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Emissions in ArkansasRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment, Division of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) lodged a proposed settlement with Domtar A.W. LLC resolving alleged Clean Air Act and Arkansas Water and Air Pollution Control Act violations involving the company’s kraft pulp and paper facility in Ashdown, Arkansas.
Under the proposed consent decree, Domtar will pay a $1.5 million civil penalty, divided between the United States and the state of Arkansas. In addition, the company will implement projects to address excess emissions from its operations and correct its inadequate inspection and monitoring practices. The projects include installing the proper pollution controls on Domtar’s brown stock washer, updating leak detection and repair procedures to ensure compliance with the regulations, increasing the frequency of monitoring for leaks, and conducting performance testing on the boilers. The estimated cost to complete the required injunctive relief and bring operations into compliance is at least $2.6 million.
“Today’s settlement demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting public health and the environment,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Domtar is moving in the right direction to resolve its Clean Air Act violations by committing to properly control pollution and monitor for leaks and substandard facility performance.”
“This settlement ensures that Domtar will take the necessary precautions to maintain and control its facility’s pollution controls among other corrective actions,” said Administrator Scott Mason of EPA Region 6. “I would like to thank the DOJ and ADEQ for their coordination on this matter and we appreciate Domtar’s cooperation in adhering to environmental laws.”
This settlement resolves Domtar’s failure to follow federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from its brown stock washer. A brown stock washer is used in the pulp and paper industry to separate and wash the waste liquid from pulp fibers. The complaint filed in the case alleges that Domtar did not install the appropriate pollution controls (required under the Clean Air Act’s New Source Performance Standards and the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants) on its brown stock washer. Without the proper controls, the brown stock washer can leak hydrogen sulfide into the air. Hydrogen sulfide has a strong rotten egg smell and is harmful to human health.
The complaint also alleges that Domtar did not follow mandatory inspection and monitoring requirements. The complaint alleges that, in one instance, Domtar failed to inspect for 53 days and failed to detect a leaking valve emitting uncontrolled and illegal amounts of pollutants. Domtar also did not conduct adequate performance testing for two of its boilers. Without proper monitoring and performance testing, the extent of the excess hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) that Domtar emitted into the air is unknown. The HAPs include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), methanol, carbon monoxide, and chlorinated compounds, including chlorine dioxide and hydrochloric acid.
Under the settlement, Domtar is taking the necessary steps to ensure that its systems control pollutants from the brown stock washer. The settlement also requires a third-party to review and revise the leak detection and repair plan to ensure Domtar’s compliance with environmental regulations. These actions will significantly reduce harmful emissions from the company’s operations.
Domtar is also undertaking two emission reduction projects to mitigate the environmental and public health harm attributable to its violations. First, Domtar will install capping valves to help prevent VOC and HAP emissions leaks. Domtar will also update its biological wastewater treatment system to capture HAPs and VOCs before they are emitted to the air.
Domtar A.W. LLC is limited liability company registered in Delaware and a wholly owned subsidiary of Domtar Corporation. Domtar is a manufacturer of diversified forest products, which includes production of pulp, paper, packaging, and tissue. Domtar describes its Ashdown Mill as one of the largest fluff pulp production facilities in the world.
The consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas and is subject to a 30-day comment period. The complaint and the proposed consent decree are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
The EPA and Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment, Division of Environmental Quality, investigated this matter.
Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling this matter.
Two Chinese Nationals Plead Guilty to Trafficking Turtles to Hong KongRead the Press Release
Kin Keung Ho, of Staten Island, New York, pleaded guilty today for his role in trafficking turtles to Asia. Lihua Owen Ma, also of Staten Island, pleaded guilty to a similar charge on July 1.
According to documents filed in court, Ho and Ma were separately charged with exporting multiple species of U.S. native turtles, including eastern box turtles, western box turtles, three-toed box turtles, spotted turtles, and diamondback terrapins. The defendants each pleaded guilty to a Lacey Act felony and admitted they created false labels for the packages without having any of the required permits or declarations. Ho admitted he shipped numerous packages between June 1, 2024, and Nov. 13, 2025. During the plea hearing, the government proffered that Ho shipped approximately 99 packages containing 578 turtles. Ho falsely labeled the contents as containing crystals or stones. Ma acknowledged illegally exporting between May 25, 2021, and May 5, 2023.
Stock photo of spotted turtle. Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.These turtles species are prized in the international pet trade, particularly in China. All of the turtles are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which 185 governments, including the United States and China, are parties. CITES regulates trade in wildlife, fish, and plant species that are or may become threatened with extinction.
Stock photo of western box turtle. Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking law. It prohibits, among other things, creating false labels for wildlife shipped in international or interstate commerce. The maximum penalty is five years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the economic gain or loss. The court will schedule sentencing hearings at a later date.
Stock photo of diamondback terrapin. Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement in Valley Stream, New York, investigated these cases with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors and Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the cases.
The Department of Justice Sues Colorado for Providing In-State Tuition to Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice sued Colorado for placing illegal aliens over American citizens in clear defiance of Congress’s commands, challenging its state laws that provide in-state tuition and financial aid to illegal aliens. The Department’s complaint alleges that Colorado’s in-state tuition laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rates or scholarships, create incentives for illegal immigration, and reward illegal aliens for breaking our Nation’s laws with benefits that U.S. citizens are not eligible for, all in direct conflict with federal law.
“For three decades Congress has made clear that states cannot provide education benefits to illegal aliens unless those same benefits are available to all American citizens,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “By granting illegal aliens in-state tuition, Colorado is violating federal law and subsidizing education for illegal aliens at the taxpayers’ expense. This Department will not cease until President Trump’s promise is fulfilled: illegal aliens will not receive benefits denied to our Nation’s own citizens.”
“This is a simple matter of federal law: colleges cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second-class citizens in their own country.”
In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of Colorado statutes that require colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain in-state residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Additionally, the complaint seeks to enjoin Colorado from enforcing those laws to afford financial assistance and scholarships to illegal aliens.
Today marks the Department’s 14th lawsuit challenging in-state tuition for illegal aliens. The Department’s efforts have already delivered wins for the American people, as four similar lawsuits in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Nebraska have resulted favorable orders permanently enjoining and declaring unconstitutional analogous laws that gave reduced tuition to illegal aliens, including an order from the Fifth Circuit. Lawsuits against other states that similarly put illegal aliens ahead of U.S. citizens are pending across the country in Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia, California, New Jersey, Kansas, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maryland.
Oklahoma Businessman Waives $120M Bankruptcy Discharge After USTP Investigation Reveals Undisclosed AssetsRead the Press Release
An Oklahoma businessman waived his bankruptcy discharge of more than $120 million after an investigation by the Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) found that he concealed income and financial accounts in his bankruptcy case.
On July 1, the Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma approved Michael Ray Friday’s voluntary waiver. As a result, Friday remains liable for his debts, and creditors are free to pursue payment from him after the case is closed.
“Dishonest debtors undermine the integrity of the bankruptcy system,” said U.S. Trustee Ilene Lashinsky of Region 20, which includes the Western District of Oklahoma. “The debtor in this case misrepresented his financial position and sought to exploit our nation’s bankruptcy laws for selfish gain. The USTP will continue to hold accountable those who attempt to abuse the system.”
Friday filed a chapter 7 liquidation case in August 2024, about nine months after a company that had bought his power line construction business obtained a more than $58 million judgment against him. An investigation by the USTP’s Oklahoma City office found evidence of multiple omissions and misrepresentations in Friday’s bankruptcy documents and testimony. Among other things, Friday failed to disclose several financial accounts and about $400,000 in income.
Despite Friday’s claims that he was unemployed, his bank accounts showed multiple large cash deposits and withdrawals that he could not explain. He also failed to disclose several expenses, including monthly payments toward his son’s home loan. The USTP also alleged that before he filed for bankruptcy, Friday orchestrated a quick divorce to transfer real estate to his ex-wife and shield it from his creditors.
Friday agreed to voluntarily waive his bankruptcy discharge shortly before a trial was scheduled to begin on the USTP’s complaint to deny him a discharge.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 82 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Nevada Tax Preparers Indicted for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Preparing False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging three Las Vegas tax return preparers with conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully preparing false tax returns for clients.
According to the indictment, Jadee Glover owned and operated CashBack Tax Service, a Las Vegas tax preparation business, where Julia Brainerd and Shamoya Perkins worked as tax return preparers. The three allegedly conspired to prepare and file fraudulent income tax returns for clients that in some instances reported completely fictitious businesses and in other instances reported fictitious receipts and expenses for businesses the clients actually owned. Glover, Brainerd, and Perkins allegedly agreed to include false tax credits on client returns based on false assertions that the clients had missed substantial amounts of work at their purported businesses because they had contracted COVID-19 or were providing care to others that had contracted COVID-19. Based on these false claims, the tax returns allegedly generated large tax refunds that clients were not entitled to receive, a portion of which was directed to CashBack Tax Service as tax preparation fees.
According to the indictment, Glover, Brainerd and Perkins each willfully prepared and filed a number of false tax returns for clients in this manner. In addition to their work for CashBack Tax Service, Brainerd allegedly prepared false returns for clients of Royalty Tax Services, a Las Vegas tax preparation business she separately owned and operated, and Perkins allegedly prepared false returns for clients of Jewels Tax Services, a Las Vegas tax preparation business she separately owned and operated.
If convicted, Glover, Brainerd, and Perkins face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy and three years in prison for each count of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for clients. They also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Regina Jeon and Megan E. Wessel of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Justice Department Resumes Targeted HSR Merger Review ProcessRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division announced today that it has returned to implementing targeted Second Request investigations to expedite merger review. The Division is also publishing a model timing agreement in connection with this release.
“This Department of Justice is working to eliminate bureaucratic burdens while still preserving the integrity of Second Request investigations, which are aimed at protecting American consumers and affordability,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “A more targeted process strengthens the Department’s ability to appropriately enforce antitrust laws through focusing its review. This change will allow for quicker and more efficient review of proposed transactions; more effective use of taxpayer resources; and above all, helps the Department do its job to safeguard a competitive marketplace while keeping America open for business.”
Under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act, mergers or acquisitions above certain numerical thresholds must notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Antitrust Division prior to consummating a reportable transaction. The FTC or the Division may require the merging parties to submit additional information and documents relevant to the proposed transaction. This is generally referred to as a “Second Request.”
Historically, the Division implemented targeted Second Request investigations to reduce administrative burden and focus government resources on the specific aspects of proposed transactions that raise competitive concerns. Under a targeted Second Request investigation, the Division and the merging parties enter into a timing agreement that prioritizes the submission of certain information and documents called for by the Second Request that could resolve the Division’s questions prior to full compliance. In exchange, the Division benefits from receiving information and documents on an efficient schedule with greater certainty on the timing of key milestones to facilitate review. After reviewing this priority information and carefully analyzing potential competitive concerns, the Division may close its investigation, modify the Second Request, or require full compliance with the Second Request.
This return to historical practice is part of the Division’s commitment to reducing the burden and costs on merging parties without compromising the Division’s ability to thoroughly investigate transactions that raise potential competitive concerns.
Through these efforts, the Division is committed to promoting competition and protecting American consumers without imposing undue costs on the workings of the free market. The Division remains open to good faith negotiations regarding modifications to Second Requests in all cases. The Division will continue to require full compliance in circumstances in which broader information is necessary to reach an enforcement decision.
Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging Milwaukee Mask Ban and Identification Requirements for Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee, Mayor Cavalier Johnson, City Attorney Evan Goyke, and Chief of Police Jeffrey Norman, challenging their unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers by prohibiting federal officers from wearing masks and requiring they wear individual identifiers in Milwaukee, Wis., Code of Ordinances§ 105-140.
Not only is the law an illegal attempt to regulate the federal government, but, as alleged in the complaint, the law threatens the safety of federal officers who have faced an unprecedent wave of harassment, doxing, and even violence. Threatening officers with prosecution for simply protecting their identities and their families also chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations.
“State and local leaders cannot tell Federal officers how to do their job,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “And they certainly cannot prohibit them from ensuring their own safety in safeguarding our communities and enforcing federal law. We will never tolerate the doxxing or harassment of federal officers, or any law like Milwaukee’s that enables violent behavior against law enforcement officers and their families.”
“Milwaukee’s direct regulation of federal law enforcement operations threatens severe consequences for officers and public safety alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Federal Government, not the city, gets to decide which equipment federal agents may or may not wear when performing their official duties.”
“Not only is this ordinance an affront to the Constitution, but it jeopardizes the safety of our courageous sworn law enforcement officers,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “Further, it puts local and federal law enforcement officers at odds with each other when they should be working together on the common goals to enforce the rule of law and keep our communities safe.”
Acting Attorney General Blanche has instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country, including in New York, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, California, and Philadelphia. The United States has secured preliminary relief from each court to have ruled on its claims so far.
Acting Attorney General Blanche Issues Updated Guidance to Strengthen Federal Religious Liberty ProtectionsRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced the release of updated guidance on federal protections for religious liberty, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to safeguarding the constitutional rights of religious individuals and organizations. The updated memorandum revises and expands upon the department’s 2017 Religious Liberty Guidelines in the light of significant U.S. Supreme Court decisions issued over the past nine years.
“Religious liberty is one of our Nation’s founding principles and a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “It is essential that federal agencies fully respect and protect the ability of all Americans to live out their faith in daily life, including in their interactions with the federal government.”
The updated guidance directs all executive departments and agencies to ensure that federal programs, employment practices, contracting, rulemaking, and enforcement actions comply with the Constitution, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and other applicable federal laws. It emphasizes that religious exercise includes not only belief and worship but also religious conduct in daily life, and that such conduct must be reasonably accommodated whenever practicable and permitted by law.
Key updates in the guidance include:
- Integration of recent Supreme Court precedent. The memo reflects recent judicial decisions clarifying the scope of the First Amendment, RFRA’s broad protection of religious liberty, and the requirement of equal treatment toward religious organizations in government programs.
- Protection of parental rights. The updated guidance emphasizes the Supreme Court’s recent precedents confirming that the Constitution protects parents’ ability to direct the religious upbringing of their children.
- Reaffirmation of church autonomy. he guidance highlights constitutional protections that bar government interference in internal religious governance, including employment.
- Expanded direction for federal agencies. Agencies are instructed to proactively consider religious‑liberty impacts when developing rules and policies, designate officers to review regulatory proposals for compliance, and ensure enforcement actions respect RFRA and other protections. Agencies must also consider religious‑liberty concerns raised by the public during notice‑and‑comment periods.
- Clarified protections in federal employment. The guidance reaffirms that agencies must follow recent Office of Legal Counsel opinions when accommodating religious expression and practice in the workplace, including scheduling accommodations and workplace religious expression.
- Safeguards for religious organizations in federal contracting and grant programs. Agencies may not condition an individual’s participation in federal programs on relinquishing their religious character or hiring rights. Religious organizations must be permitted to compete on equal footing with secular organizations.
The Office of Legal Policy will continue to assist agencies in reviewing proposed actions for compliance with federal religious‑liberty protections. "The new religious liberty guidance instructs agencies on how to protect one of our most fundamental constitutional guarantees: religious liberty, said Assistant Attorney General Dan Burrows for the Office of Legal Policy. “It helps ensure that federal actions do not discriminate on the basis of religion and furthers the protection of both individual practitioners and religious organizations."
The updated guidance is available HERE.
Medical Supply Company Owner Convicted of $30M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida convicted an Oklahoma business owner and chiropractor yesterday for his role in a yearslong scheme that attempted to bilk Medicare, TRICARE, and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) out of over $30 million by purchasing patient information, medical practitioners’ signatures, and doctors’ orders for orthotic braces and glucose monitors that patients did not want or need.
“The defendant turned private medical data into a pipeline for personal profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Every fake doctor’s order generated was a direct attack on systems built to care for some of our nation’s most vulnerable. Yesterday’s verdict makes clear that if you exploit our seniors and military families to fill your own pockets, you will answer for every dollar stolen.”
“The defendant bought patient data and used it to generate sham medical orders, targeting seniors and people with disabilities for exploitation. This scheme sought to drain millions from federal health care programs meant to support Americans in need,” said Miranda L. Bennett, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “This verdict makes clear that HHS OIG and our law enforcement partners will hold accountable anyone who tries to defraud these programs or prey on the people they serve.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mark Loftis, 39, of Cushing, Oklahoma, paid over a million dollars to marketers who worked with call centers to persuade elderly and disabled Americans to provide their personal information, including their health insurance information. Loftis and his co-conspirators then used that information to obtain signed orders for orthotic braces and continuous glucose monitors that were generated by telemedicine doctors and nurse practitioners who never examined, and often never spoke to the patients. Loftis and his co-conspirators used these doctors’ orders to bill federal health care programs. Loftis also concealed a conspirator’s management role in his company and his billing of claims generated by other unenrolled medical suppliers. In total, Loftis obtained over $8 million from the false and fraudulent claims. Loftis continued the scheme for three years despite receiving a steady stream of complaints from beneficiaries and family members of beneficiaries who reported that their elderly parents suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, making them especially vulnerable to the sales tactics of Loftis’s conspirators.
Office of Back Pain Home Supplies, one of Loftis’s medical supply companies in Drumright, OklahomaThe jury convicted Loftis of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7, 2026, and faces 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.
HHS-OIG, FBI, DCIS, and VA-OIG investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Florida Pharmacist Convicted of Massive Oxycodone Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted a Florida licensed pharmacist and pharmacy owner yesterday for her role in dispensing over 300,000 oxycodone 30mg pills to pharmacy patrons who had no medical need for the drug.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Olushola Yusuf, 60, of Tampa, dispensed oxycodone to nearly all her pharmacy customers. Yusuf charged customers approximately 10 times the typical cost of the drug and required payment from them in cash. In total, Yusuf dispensed at least 335,351 pills of oxycodone 30mg during the conspiracy. Oxycodone 30mg is the maximum strength available of the drug and is both sought after and potentially dangerous due to its potency. It is typically prescribed to seriously ill patients, such as those suffering from chronic cancer pain or traumatic injuries.
“The defendant abused the public trust by using her pharmacies to unlawfully distribute deadly opioids,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This conviction sends an unmistakable message: whether you deal drugs on a street corner or from behind a pharmacy counter, the Fraud Division will hold you fully accountable under the law.”
“Olushola Yusuf did not simply ignore red flags. She built her business around them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “She knowingly flooded South Florida communities with more than 335,000 high-dose oxycodone pills, even after her employees and the DEA warned her about the dangers of her conduct. Yusuf charged extraordinary cash prices, served drug dealers and customers who traveled long distances, and put profit ahead of patients, public safety, and her responsibilities as a pharmacist. Yesterday, a federal jury held her accountable.”
“Pharmacists occupy a position of public trust and serve as a critical safeguard against the diversion of controlled substances,” said DEA Chief of Operations Matthew W. Allen. “By dispensing hundreds of thousands of oxycodone pills to virtually anyone willing to pay inflated cash prices, the defendant abandoned that responsibility, exploited addiction, and endangered lives for personal profit. This conviction reinforces DEA’s commitment to the American people: no one is above the law when they violate the public’s trust and contribute to the unlawful distribution of dangerous drugs.”
“By distributing dangerous and highly addictive narcotics, the defendant demonstrated a clear disregard for their community and endangered countless residents who should have been able to trust their pharmacist,” said FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher Raia. “The opioid epidemic continues to plague our nation, which is why the FBI, along with our partners, will continue to hold the criminals poisoning our communities with these drugs accountable.”
Yusuf owned and operated two pharmacies, Boots LLC d/b/a Striderite (Boots) in Margate, Florida, and Chans Pharmacy Plus, Inc. (Chans) in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Yusuf distributed oxycodone 30mg pills through these pharmacies. Customers drove long distances across the state of Florida to have Yusuf fill prescriptions that they could not get filled at any other pharmacy. Some customers paid as much as $1,000 a month in cash to Yusuf for the drugs. And some customers were drug dealers, who picked up oxycodone pills purportedly on behalf of dozens of patients at a time who were not present. According to witnesses at trial, Yusuf kept the doors to her pharmacies locked during business hours, directing employees only to open the door for certain identified customers. Yusuf continued to dispense the oxycodone in this way even after repeated warnings from her employees and the DEA about the dangers of her pharmacy operations.
Boots Pharmacy in Margate, FL. Chans Pharmacy in Pembroke Pines, FL. Cash paid to Yusuf for oxycodone 30mgThe jury convicted Yusuf of conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and five counts of illegal drug distribution. Yusuf’s co-defendant, Saman Gimenez, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and is scheduled to be sentenced in October of this year. Yusuf faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. A sentencing hearing will occur on October 14, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HHS-OIG, FBI, and DEA are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Angela Benoit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Notorious Fugitive Arrested in Connection with $547 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A foreign national was arrested yesterday on criminal charges related to his orchestration of a scheme to defraud Medicare over half a billion dollars for unnecessary genetic testing.
Khalid Satary, 54, was charged by indictment in 2019 in the Eastern District of Louisiana as part of one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever charged by the Department of Justice. According to the indictment and court documents, from 2016 to 2019, Satary owned and operated several diagnostic testing laboratories throughout the United States that billed Medicare for expensive and medically unnecessary genetic tests. Satary allegedly conspired with dozens of patient recruiters, telemarketing call centers, and telemedicine companies to utilize deceptive marketing campaigns and illegal kickbacks and bribes to generate cancer genetic test samples that reimbursed between $10,000 to $20,000 per sample. Through his laboratories, Satary billed Medicare for over $547 million. He also allegedly paid millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks and bribes to doctors and patient recruiters. In connection with the indictment, the government seized 16 bank accounts and restrained real estate from Satary.
“This defendant allegedly orchestrated a massive fraud scheme that preyed on thousands of elderly patients, deceiving them into undergoing expensive, medically unnecessary tests and fraudulently billing the government for more than half a billion dollars,” said Acting Attorney General Blanche. “Thanks to the outstanding work of our partners at the FBI, this defendant was brought back from overseas to face justice in the United States. Our message to fraudsters is clear: If you steal from American taxpayers and exploit vulnerable patients, we will find and prosecute you, no matter where you are.”
“This defendant is alleged to have engaged in a massive fraud scheme that preyed on elderly patients, duped them into taking expensive and unnecessary genetic tests, and billed the United States more than half a billion dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “As today’s arrest shows, there is no safe haven for fraudsters who seek to exploit vulnerable Americans or our Nation’s critical health care programs.”
“The arrest of Khalid Ahmed Satary and return to the U.S. is the third Most Wanted Fraudster capture from this FBI and our partners in just 5 weeks – continuing the historic run of success for this new initiative,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Satary was indicted in 2019 on charges on Health Care Fraud Conspiracy, allegedly stealing $547 million from 2016-2019 by fraudulently billing Medicare for expensive and medically unnecessary genetic tests, using deceptive marketing campaigns, illegal kickbacks, and bribes. This is another subject who exploited a program dedicated to helping our most vulnerable and instead stole for himself. Satary has been on the run since 2022, but we got him thanks to great work and coordination from the interagency and our overseas partners.
This is just the latest example showing President Trump’s and Vice President Vance’s White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud will not be deterred in our mission to track down each and every fraudster who allegedly steals from American taxpayers. And it’s yet another high value target returned from overseas by this FBI - the 27th such transfer since June.”
“Medicare fraud targets vulnerable populations and defrauds taxpayers out of millions of dollars,” said United States Attorney David I. Courcelle for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “In this case, the defendant allegedly targeted elderly, disabled and other vulnerable consumers, nationwide, luring them into a fraudulent scheme that generated massive taxpayer losses. Compounding these allegations, it is also alleged that the defendant failed to appear at a court hearing by fleeing the country. Mr. Satary’s eventual apprehension demonstrates the Department of Justice’s unflagging commitment to protect taxpayers’ monies and prosecute those who violate the public trust.”
“HHS-OIG’s investigation of this case uncovered an alleged scheme that exploited vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries through medically unnecessary genetic testing and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to federal health programs. This fugitive’s capture is an important step toward accountability,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of HHS-OIG. “We appreciate the coordinated efforts that resulted in his arrest abroad and return to the United States. HHS OIG will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure individuals who engage in health care fraud are held accountable, no matter how long they attempt to evade justice.”
Following indictment, Satary was released on bond, over the government’s objection, with a condition not to work in the health care field. While on bond, Satary allegedly conspired with Houston-based laboratories in Texas to continue submitting fraudulent genetic testing claims to Medicare. In December 2022, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Satary in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Satary failed to appear for a court hearing and is alleged to have subsequently fled the country. On July 20, 2026, he was apprehended by regional partners in the Middle East and was found to be in possession of a fake Mexican passport under a fake name, depicted below. He was subsequently transferred into U.S. custody.
Khalid Satary after being apprehended in July 2026 (left), and the fake Mexican passport in his possession (right) Khalid Satary’s arrival at Washington Dulles International Airport.Satary made his initial appearance today in the Eastern District of Virginia. He is charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks and bribes, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, 10 years in prison for the counts of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and five years in prison for the count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive kickbacks
On June 4, the FBI announced the creation of the Most Wanted Fraudsters List. The list included Herb Kimble, a fugitive in a $1.2 billion telemedicine and durable medical equipment scheme, who, on June 8—just four days later—was apprehended in the Philippines and was soon after charged as part of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. On June 23, Satary was added to the Most Wanted Fraudsters List, and he was apprehended less than a month later, despite being on the run for over three years.
The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case. The Department thanks its government partners—including U.S. Customs and Border Protection International Operations— in the Middle East for their cooperation in the apprehension of this health care fraud fugitive.
Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Andrew Tamayo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski for the Southern District of Florida.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with South Carolina to Protect the Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in South Carolina Special Primary Election and RunoffRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced an agreement between the Department and the State of South Carolina through the South Carolina State Election Commission and its Executive Director to help ensure that military service members, their family members, and U.S. citizens living overseas have an opportunity to participate fully in the upcoming special federal primary election and a runoff primary election, if necessary.
“This agreement reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting the right to vote for members of our armed forces deployed around the world, their families, and U.S. citizens overseas, and ensuring that these voters are afforded a meaningful opportunity to vote in all federal elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “South Carolina officials worked with the department immediately to find a resolution to safeguard voting rights for the state’s military and overseas voters in the upcoming primary election and potential runoff.”
Due to the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, the special primary election to replace the late Sen. Graham as the Republican nominee for the 2026 General Election must occur on Aug. 11, 2026 and any runoff primary election, if necessary, must occur on Aug. 25, 2026. The agreement is necessary to provide a remedy for a potential violation of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).
The agreement provides that for the Aug. 11, 2026 special primary election, South Carolina will send UOCAVA ballots by Aug. 1, 2026 to all eligible UOCAVA voters who have made a standing request for UOCAVA ballots for all elections through December 2027. Ballots will include information indicating that UOCAVA voters can return ballots securely by electronic transmission, and all ballots must be returned by Aug. 11, 2026, at 7:00 pm eastern daylight time, whether by electronic transmission, express mail, or post.
Each ballot also includes instant runoff voting, so that UOCAVA voters can select a candidate for a runoff election, if necessary, on Aug. 25, 2026. The agreement requires that by July 24, 2026, South Carolina contact all eligible UOCAVA voters who did not make a standing request to let them know about the special election deadlines and offer to send ballots by electronic mail if they would like to participate.
The agreement also requires that South Carolina publicize the deadlines about the special primary and runoff elections and the information in the agreement to potential South Carolina UOCAVA voters, including the availability of the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot to participate in those elections.
More information about UOCAVA and other federal voting rights laws is available on the Department of Justice website at www.justice.gov/crt/uniformed-and-overseas-citizens-absentee-voting-act.
Justice Department Releases $25M in Law Enforcement Grants and ResourcesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has just released $25 million in new grant Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) to support law enforcement. Today’s NOFOs are in addition to the nearly $700 million in NOFOs the COPS Office released last month in June.
The recently released NOFOs include the Safer Outcomes: Enhancing Crisis Response Training for Law Enforcement Program and other grant programs that:
- Produce products and resources to advance crime fighting, support common sense policing efforts, and uplift the image of the law enforcement profession;
- Provide technical assistance resources to help law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve in identifying and implementing improvements through training, consultation, peer-based learning, analysis, and assessments; and
- Establish new and support existing accreditation bodies in states or territories to increase the number of accredited law enforcement agencies nationwide.
“The Department of Justice is investing in strategies that reduce crime, hold offenders accountable, and give law enforcement the tools they need to do their jobs,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “These additional funding programs are another example of our commitment to safer neighborhoods, smarter strategies, and stronger partnerships across the country.”
Safer Outcomes: Enhancing Crisis Response Training for Law Enforcement Program supports agency-wide deescalation training, including train-the-trainer and overtime costs, while partnering with academies, academic institutions, and POST commissions to institutionalize best-practice training nationwide. Up to $13 million will be available.
Community Policing Development (CPD) Law Enforcement Products and Resources supports the development of products and resources that provide guidance on promising practices; develop and test innovative strategies; build knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and support new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities and a positive image of policing. Products and resources must specifically be designed for national distribution and offer creative ideas to uplift the image of the law enforcement profession, advance crime fighting, or support common sense policing efforts. Up to $6 million will be available. High priority areas include the following topics:
- Detecting and Investigating Human Trafficking
- Gang Violence Enforcement and Investigations
- Immigration and Border Security
- Investigating and Interrupting Child Exploitation
- Investigating and Interrupting Cybercrime
- Investigating and Interrupting Opioids and Drug Markets
- Officer Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention
- Preventing and Investigating Domestic Terrorism
- Unmanned Aerial Systems and Drones
- Vagrancy and Squatting
- Violent Crime Enforcement and Investigations
The Collaborative Reform Initiative (CRI) offers a suite of services designed to highlight best practices of law enforcement agencies and the many ways they protect Americans, enhance officer safety and wellness, build agencies’ capacity for self-improvement and effectiveness, and promote community policing practices nationwide. CRI consists of programs meant to complement one another that range in time and complexity. This year's Collaborative Reform program has two funding opportunities. The first funding opportunity has two subcategories: Collaborative Reform Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) and Critical Response (CR). The second funding opportunity is invitational and only open to applicants that receive an invitation to apply. Up to $4.2 million will be available.
Community Policing Development (CPD) Accreditation Program is seeking to establish new and support existing accreditation bodies in states or territories throughout the United States. Funding will focus on activities such as providing technical assistance to agencies, defraying or underwriting accreditation costs for local agencies, improving customer service and marketing, and developing user-friendly policy templates. Up to $2.5 million will be available.
The COPS Office is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing and the Administration’s priority of Making America Safe Again by supporting the nation’s state, local, territorial and Tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.
For more information on COPS Office NOFOs, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants.
Justice Department Announces $400 Million Settlement to Provide for Healthcare Costs of the Alaska Native Tribal Health ConsortiumRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced its authorization of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) for contract support costs owed under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). ANTHC was formed in the 1990s to provide health services throughout the state of Alaska. Among other things, ANTHC operates the non-primary care functions of the Alaska Native Medical Center, which is one of the largest tribally run hospitals in our Nation.
“Congress directed, and the Supreme Court clarified, that Indian tribes should be reimbursed by HHS for qualifying administrative costs when administering their own healthcare programs,” said Acting Attorney General Blanche. “Our $400M settlement with ANTHC provides the consortium with support and autonomy for the healthcare services they provide to American Indians and Alaska Natives.”
“This settlement reflects our commitment to resolving litigation fairly and ensuring that federal resources are appropriately directed toward serving Native communities,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “We are pleased to have reached an authorized agreement that benefits American Indian and Alaska Native communities and remains consistent with the legal framework established by Congress.”
Through a compact with the federal government under ISDEAA, ANTHC is responsible for administering certain healthcare programs that the federal government otherwise would administer for the benefit of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Alaska. In 2021, ANTHC filed litigation claiming the government had failed to pay certain contract support costs owed under ISDEAA and the compact. Specifically, ANTHC claimed the government owed contract support costs on revenue that ANTHC had collected from third-party payers, such as Medicare and private insurers, while administering the federal healthcare programs.
While the litigation was pending, in 2024, the Supreme Court decided in a similar case, Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe, that Title I of ISDEAA requires the federal government to pay contract support costs on revenue from third-party payers when the relevant ISDEAA contract requires the revenue to be used for the healthcare program.
Following that landmark decision, the Justice Department engaged in extensive negotiations with ANTHC to reach a fair resolution of ANTHC’s litigation and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made an official visit to the state in July 2026.
Florida Businessman Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday to evading taxes on millions in income that he earned from business ventures that sold internet access to American servicemembers and contractors stationed abroad.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2013 and 2018, Joseph Stewart, of Miami, earned more than $4.5 million in dividends from his 50% ownership in a business that sold internet access to American servicemembers and contractors stationed on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Between 2013 and 2018, Stewart also earned income from his 50% ownership of a separate business that sold internet access to soldiers stationed on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Despite earning this income, Stewart stopped filing timely tax returns with the IRS once he began receiving significant dividends from his business in 2013.
In April 2016, despite having not filed tax returns or paid taxes since 2013, Stewart filed a false affidavit with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) attaching unfiled copies of federal tax returns while falsely attesting they were filed.
After Stewart received letters from the IRS in 2019, he hired a tax attorney and return preparers and falsely informed them that over $3.8 million in dividends he received between 2013 and 2018 were nontaxable loans. Stewart also falsely stated that he did not know the other shareholders of the business. As a result of these false statements, the tax professionals drafted tax returns for Stewart for 2013 through 2020 that underreported his income and taxes due. Stewart filed these false returns with the IRS, except for a 2013 tax return, which reported that Stewart owed approximately $155,720 in taxes.
In total, Stewart willfully failed to report around $4.62 million in income and caused a total tax loss to the United States of approximately $1.57 million.
Stewart pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Ezra Spiro and Likhitha Butchireddygari of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
United States Seizes More than 1,000 Internet Domains Used to Illegally Stream World Cup 2026 MatchesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today the successful seizure of more than 1,000 domains that were engaged in the unauthorized streaming of matches in the FIFA World Cup Finals in violation of U.S. copyright law. These seizures occurred over three separate actions during the World Cup, which include the nearly 400 sites seized by the end of last month, and were based on investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.
“The sustained effort to seize more than a thousand domains dedicated to illegally streaming the World Cup confirms the administration’s commitment to intellectual property rights and to the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Operation Offsides is part of the Department’s ongoing effort to protect copyright while reducing the risk to American consumers from the malicious software embedded in many illicit streaming services.”
““The unauthorized broadcast of World Cup matches violates intellectual property rights and fuels criminal organizations,” said Director Ivan J. Arvelo of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. “Through Operation Offsides and strong partnerships with law enforcement and the private sector, we identified and seized hundreds of domains, disrupting those who steal and distribute copyrighted content. Our ongoing efforts ensure that the excitement of the World Cup reaches fans through legitimate, secure channels.”
“Streaming content from illicit websites opens your devices to unknown risks. Criminals operating these unauthorized platforms are already willing to break the law when they stream copyrighted World Cup games, they might also be planning to inject malware or steal your payment information,” said Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin of HSI. “Protect your online presence and enjoy the finals with official streaming partners.”
According to an affidavit in support of a seizure warrant which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the seized domains were used to illegally offer users copyright-protected content in the form of real-time streams of 2026 World Cup matches as they are being played and first broadcast. In support of the application for seizure authority, HSI special agents confirmed that the seized domains were actively broadcasting World Cup matches without authorization. The seized domains were identified with assistance of FIFA, with further supporting information provided by beIN Media Group, NBC Universal, Motion Picture Association’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and Warner Brothers. FIFA is the international governing body of association football (soccer) and holds the exclusive rights to sanction and stage the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is being hosted in multiple cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Banner posted on seized sites.In addition to the U.S. actions, law enforcement authorities across the Western Hemisphere, in coordination with the Justice Department’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) program, carried out extensive enforcement actions as part of “Operation Red Card” to combat digital piracy and counterfeiting linked to the World Cup. The ICHIP for Internet-Based Fraud and Public Health and ICHIP São Paulo coordinated efforts among Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru, including a two-day intergovernmental meeting in Bogotá, Colombia, from July 1 and 2, with the Colombian Attorney General’s Cybercrime Unit, Specialized Directorate Against Organized Crime, and HSI Attaché offices. These coordinated actions resulted in the blocking of hundreds of illegal streaming sites, including 14 in Argentina, 223 in Ecuador, 28 in Peru, 309 in Brazil, 256 in the Dominican Republic, and 1,140 in Colombia. Colombian authorities also conducted 13 nationwide search-and-seizure operations targeting the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit sports apparel, leading to 11 arrests and convictions.
Building on a first phase on June 17 targeting counterfeit sports apparel in Colombia, authorities launched Phase II of Operation Red Card on July 10, executing simultaneous operations in Colombia including in Bogotá, Soacha, Maríalabaja, Manatí, and Sincerín. An ICHIP-mentored cybercrime prosecutorial team from the Colombian Attorney General’s Office arrested four members of the cybercriminal group Los Ciberinfiltrados, which since 2024 had illegally accessed telecommunication systems and sold pirated streaming content, including World Cup matches, via fraudulent credentials, VPNs, interception of security codes, and manipulation of corporate system profiles. In addition, ICHIP Bucharest coordinated efforts with Europol and foreign counterparts in Europe to combat illegal streaming activities in Europe during the World Cup.
The U.S. action is part of Operation Offsides, which focuses on disrupting illegal World Cup streaming and protecting intellectual property rights by identifying and seizing websites facilitating unauthorized broadcasts. Operation Offsides is led by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, targeting digital piracy domains associated with the World Cup. The operation is being conducted in coordination with HSI Washington, D.C., HSI Attaché offices, as well as private sector and law enforcement partners globally. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Mercer for the Eastern District of Virgina, Senior Counsel Brian Mund, Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne Rose, and Acting Deputy Chief Christopher Merriam of the of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are assisting.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
The Justice Department is providing intellectual property and cybercrime technical assistance to foreign law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial partners in other countries through the ICHIP program. Learn more about the Department’s ICHIP Program, jointly administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and CCIPS through partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, here.
Justice Department Launches Investigation to Determine Whether Harvard’s China-Based Financial Aid Programs Discriminate Against American StudentsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today it is opening a compliance review into Harvard University to determine whether its China-based financial aid programs and practices exclude American-citizen students, in violation Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin.
“Every American student should have an equal opportunity to compete for college scholarships, grants, and other kinds of financial aid and benefits,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Schools cannot take federal dollars and then turn around and accept money from foreign sources to give financial aid that deliberately excludes American citizens — doing so is illegal, and we will stop it wherever we find it.”
Under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, institutions of higher education, such as Harvard, must self-report gifts and contracts valued at $250,000 or more. Harvard’s disclosures indicate that it is the American university receiving the most funding from foreign sources, having disclosed nearly $4.5 billion in foreign funding. Harvard’s disclosures also confirm that its greatest source of foreign funding comes from sources based in China, which account for more than $630 million.
The Civil Rights Division’s audit of Harvard’s disclosures raised concerns about Harvard’s compliance with Title VI’s antidiscrimination requirements. Specifically, these China-based sources restrict Harvard’s use of their funds and require that Harvard support or establish financial aid programs “with preference given to students from particular countries.”
Harvard appears to be accepting these funds and, in adherence to their restrictions, providing student financial aid to foreign students, presumably Chinese, based on their national origin — to the potential detriment of students of other national origins, including American citizens.
The Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation.
The public may inspect Harvard’s disclosures at www.foreignfundinghighered.gov, which is run by the Department of Education.
Note: Read the Department’s Notice Letter here.
Justice Department Finds University of California San Diego Medical School Discriminates Based on Race in AdmissionsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today a finding that the University of California San Diego School of Medicine (San Diego Med) used race in its admissions process in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA), which banned race discrimination in higher education.
“Rather than rely on MCAT scores or GPA, San Diego Med’s shadow application process unlawfully judged applicants for admission based on their race,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “San Diego Med’s blatant efforts to prioritize race are illegal, and we will end these practices.”
The Department’s investigation found that San Diego Med manipulated applicant data to achieve greater racial diversity in student admissions. San Diego Med’s documents show that admissions staff used purportedly “race-neutral” subjective criteria to deliberately increase admission of so-called “underrepresented minorities in medicine” (URM), which includes black and Hispanic applicants. In fact, San Diego Med used racial proxies, which, under SFFA, are banned by Title VI.
One example includes San Diego Med’s admissions staff using answers to “hardship” application questions — which allow applicants to address how they “overcame” certain disadvantages — to help determine which students were URM applicants. Thereafter, the admissions staff sorted applicants into six categories: Groups A-C — from highest to lowest MCAT scores and GPA, with “hardship” subgroups for each group. Each group and its subgroup were combined (e.g., “Group A” plus “Group A with hardship”), further sorted into “batches” of 30, and then rated for the interview stage. By giving reviewers access to the applicant’s race during this stage for certain admissions cycles post-SFFA, San Diego Med ensured that more URM applicants would be invited to interview. Thus, San Diego Med deliberately used the “hardship” categorization to skirt SFFA, by putting more URMs into the subgroups, which ensured that more URMs received interviews.
The result of San Diego Med’s manipulation: white and Asian applicants were denied admission in favor of lower-credentialed black and Hispanic applicants.
Medical schools receive substantial federal financial assistance and are subject to federal non-discrimination laws. The Department will continue to monitor and ensure their compliance with Title VI and SFFA’s prohibition on race-conscious admissions. Where a violation has been found, the Department is engaging in settlement negotiations to ensure the school’s admissions practices are brought into compliance. If those efforts fail, the Department will file suit.
Note: Read the Department’s Findings Letter here.
Florida Laboratory Agrees to Pay $9.8M to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Relating to Self-Disclosure of Compensation ArrangementsRead the Press Release
NeoGenomics Laboratories Inc. (NeoGenomics), located in Florida, has agreed to pay $9,813,260 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by providing below fair market value consulting services to certain health care providers that referred beneficiaries to NeoGenomics for laboratory testing services and by paying variable referral-based compensation to independent consultants to identify health care providers that could refer patients to NeoGenomics. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that NeoGenomics took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government’s investigation.
“Federal law prohibits paying remuneration to induce referrals of federal health care services, including by offering services at below fair market value,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We encourage companies to self-disclose improper remuneration and cooperate with our investigations in order to mitigate the consequences of prior conduct.”
“Providing services below fair market value to drive referrals — as alleged here — undermines independent medical judgment,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of HHS‑OIG. “The Self‑Disclosure Protocol remains an important tool for bringing potential violations to light and ensuring they are addressed appropriately.”
The United States alleged that, as part of NeoGenomics’ Laboratory Clinical Initiative (LCI) program, NeoGenomics provided laboratory consulting services to 28 health care providers seeking to establish in-house flow cytometry and Fluorescence In-Situ Hybridization (FISH) laboratory diagnostic capabilities. The United States contended that NeoGenomics provided certain services for less than fair market value to induce the referral of clinical laboratory tests to NeoGenomics in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and that the financial relationship and resulting submission of claims violated the Stark Law. The United States further alleged that NeoGenomics entered into agreements with independent consultants that involved payments to those consultants in exchange for identifying potential health care provider customers for NeoGenomics’ laboratory services. The United States contends that the payments to the independent consultants to identify potential customers varied in part on the volume or value of referrals to NeoGenomics from those customers.
NeoGenomics self-disclosed this conduct to the United States. In addition, NeoGenomics cooperated with the government’s investigation and took remedial measures, including ending the consulting agreements at issue, terminating responsible employees, and providing the United States with a thorough self-disclosure and other supplemental information to assist the United States in its investigation.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Brooklyn Adult Daycare Owner Sentenced to 57 Months for Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Brooklyn man surrendered to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons today to begin serving 57 months in prison in connection with his leadership of a $3.2 million Medicaid fraud and illegal kickback scheme at his social adult daycare (SADC) center. The defendant was also ordered to pay almost $3.2 million in restitution and to forfeit $1.5 million in fraud proceeds.
According to court documents, Eric Zhu, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, owned Prime Life Adult Day Care LLC (Prime Life). From approximately 2020 through 2025, Medicaid recipients were paid illegal cash kickbacks and bribes in exchange for enrolling with Prime Life. Between 2020 and 2025, Prime Life fraudulently billed Medicaid approximately $3.2 million for SADC services that these Medicaid recipients never received. Medicaid paid approximately $3.2 million based on these false and fraudulent claims. Zhu used multiple business entities to launder the fraud proceeds and generate the cash used to pay kickbacks and bribes to the Medicaid recipients, some of which was recovered during a search of Prime Life, as shown below.
“Eric Zhu exploited vulnerable Medicaid recipients by paying them illegal cash bribes to enroll in his adult day care program, then fraudulently billed Medicaid $3.2 million for services that were never actually provided,” said Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This scheme stole millions from American taxpayers and undermined a program meant to help those in need. Today’s surrender to federal authorities shows we are holding Zhu and other fraudsters like him accountable. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals who defraud public health programs.”
Cash kickbacks paid in exchange for SADC services not provided.Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. for the Eastern District of New York; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York; and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, HSI New York, and NYPD investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Patrick J. Campbell and Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Tennessee Woman Charged with Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Memphis woman with preparing false tax returns for others and willfully failing to file her own tax returns.
According to the indictment, between 2021 and 2024, Lynette Hogue prepared and filed with the IRS false and fraudulent income tax returns for clients of the tax preparation business where she worked. These tax returns allegedly contained false and fraudulent items, which generated refunds the clients were not entitled to receive.
According to the indictment, Hogue willfully failed to file her own tax returns for these same years, even though she earned substantial income from her tax return preparation business and was required to file by law.
Hogue is charged with 29 counts of willfully aiding and assisting the preparation and presentation of false tax returns and four counts of willfully failing to file a tax return. If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison for each false return count and one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Matthew C. Hicks of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Miami CPA Charged with Preparing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Miami-based CPA was arraigned in federal court on Wednesday on charges of preparing a false tax return for the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a group of related companies that collectively operated a shipping business.
According to the criminal information, Luis E. Gonzalez, Jr. became an employee of the shipping business in 2019 and prepared tax returns for several of the shipping business’s companies and several members of the family that owned it. Gonzalez allegedly prepared false tax returns for one of the companies for the years 2021 and 2022, and for an employee of that business for the years 2021 through 2023. These false returns collectively underreported millions of dollars in income.
Gonzalez was charged with one count of aiding or assisting the filing of a false tax return. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Redding Quinones of the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nalina Sombuntham of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Justice Department Complaint Leads to Revocation of Naturalized Citizenship of Bosnia War Crimes SuspectRead the Press Release
On July 17, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee entered an order revoking the citizenship of Sead Miljkovic a/k/a Sead Dukic, who hid his true identity to come to the United States in 1996 and, ultimately, to naturalize as a U.S. citizen in 2007. The court found that Miljkovic illegally procured his citizenship because he lacked the requisite good moral character to naturalize, based on false testimony he provided to Government officials. Miljkovic is a former member of the security forces of the short-lived Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (“APZB”), who was subject to an arrest warrant issued by a court in Bosnia for war crimes against civilians when the U.S. Government granted him naturalized citizenship.
The warrant, issued on January 23, 2007, led to an INTERPOL Red Notice alleging that, on June 18, 1994, and while acting as a member of the APZB security forces, Miljkovic physically mistreated civilians who were opposed to the APZB government. According to the Red Notice, Miljkovic and accomplices beat twelve civilians with wooden bats and locked them in a morgue for five days without access to light or water. Miljkovic, who consented to the judgment revoking his U.S. citizenship, has not yet appeared before a Bosnian court on these charges.
“This Administration has made it a priority to protect the sanctity of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Civil Division. “If an alien commits heinous acts and comes here to try to hide from the consequences, we will not permit it.”
This case was civilly prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Denaturalization Unit, with assistance from the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and ICE’s Human Right Violator Law Division, after investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals to Pay $4.6 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (EyePoint) headquartered in Massachusetts, has agreed to pay the United States $ 4,657,463.18 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to certain Ambulatory Service Centers (ASCs) to induce those ASCs to purchase and dispense DEXYCU, an injectable drug approved for the treatment of ocular inflammation following cataract surgery, between January 1, 2019 and March 1, 2023.
The United States alleges that following the commercial launch of DEXYCU in 2019, EyePoint induced ASCs to purchase and dispense DEXYCU by implementing an Assurance Program --- whereunder EyePoint would reimburse or compensate ASCs if health insurers denied a claim for DEXYCU or reimbursed DEXYCU below the ASCs’ purchase cost --- and by offering excessive free samples of DEXYCU to ASCs.
“Kickbacks by pharmaceutical companies increase the cost of drugs used by patients and paid for by federal health care programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will hold accountable anyone who pays unlawful kickbacks.”
“As we have for years, our Office will continue to hold pharmaceutical manufacturers accountable for paying illegal kickbacks,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Through these efforts, we protect patients by removing providers’ financial incentives to prescribe or dispense products that may not be medically necessary for the patient and protect the public from fraud, waste and abuse.”
“Pharmaceutical companies that attempt to boost profits through unlawful kickbacks undermine the integrity of federal health care programs and betray the patients who rely on them,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). We will aggressively pursue any entity that seeks to corrupt medical decision making and will not hesitate to hold them accountable.”
In connection with the settlement, EyePoint entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Through separate agreements, Eyepoint will pay an additional $21,518.68 to certain participating states.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by AFCE LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. AFCE LLC, et al., v. EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc., No. 21-CV-12071 (D. Mass.) Under the resolution, the Relator will receive $791,768.74 from the settlement.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The investigation and resolution of this matter was handled by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Margaret F. Thomas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven T. Sharobem.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: View the settlement here.
The Department of Justice Sues Maryland, Challenging its State Laws that Provide In-State Tuition to Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice sued Maryland, challenging its state law and regulation that provide in-state tuition and financial assistance for illegal aliens. The Department alleges in its filing that these laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rates or scholarships, create incentives for illegal immigration, and reward illegal aliens with benefits that U.S. citizens are not eligible for, all in direct conflict with federal law.
“Congress long ago made clear that Maryland cannot deny educational opportunities to American citizens that it gives to illegal aliens in the State,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “By granting illegal aliens in-state tuition, Maryland is not only violating federal law but subsidizing education for illegal aliens, costing Maryland taxpayers roughly $9M for just one academic year. This Department of Justice is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s promise that illegal aliens will not obtain taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment over our own citizens.”
“This is a simple matter of federal law: colleges cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second-class citizens in their own country.”
In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of a Maryland statute and regulation that requires colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain in-state residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Additionally, the complaint seeks to enjoin Maryland from enforcing those laws to afford financial assistance and scholarships to illegal aliens.
Today marks the Department’s 13th lawsuit challenging in-state tuition for illegal aliens. The Department’s efforts have already delivered wins for the American people, as four similar lawsuits in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Nebraska have resulted favorable orders permanently enjoining and declaring unconstitutional analogous laws that gave reduced tuition to illegal aliens, including an order from the Fifth Circuit. Lawsuits against other states that similarly put illegal aliens ahead of U.S. citizens are pending across the country in Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia, California, New Jersey, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Successful Transfer of Abdikerm Eidleh from Somalia to Minnesota to Face Charges for Role in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was successfully transferred to Minnesota on July 16, 2026, after his lawful surrender in Somalia.
Eidleh was among the defendants originally charged by indictment in the Feeding Our Future scheme in September 2022 and is facing 31 charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.In September 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota signed a warrant for Eidleh’s arrest.
Almost four years later in June 2026, Eidleh was located by law enforcement in Somalia. As a result of strong international law enforcement partnerships between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia, and the Somali Police Force, Eidleh was escorted to the District of Minnesota by Special Agents of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Eidleh’s return to the United States.
“Fraudsters like Abdikerm Eidleh should know full well that they cannot escape the full weight of the Justice Department,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “I commend our law enforcement partners for swiftly and securely returning Eidleh to the United States, where he will now face justice for his crimes.”
“Abdikerm Eidleh is second only to Aimee Bock in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. His capture and transfer back to Minnesota show how far the arm of American law enforcement can reach, and that you can run, but you cannot hide,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“Today is a historic moment in this FBI’s war on fraud,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The transfer of Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh brings to justice one of the alleged ringleaders of the $250 million ‘Feeding our Future’ fraud scandal out of Minnesota – where this FBI has already helped secure over 70 guilty pleas from fraudsters in partnership with the Justice Department. These are individuals who stole critical, taxpayer funded resources from kids in need during the COVID pandemic – and Eidleh was allegedly right at the top of the operation. He fled overseas after being charged in 2022, but thanks to the leadership of the Trump administration, our partners at the Justice Department, and counterparts in Somalia, this FBI got him. Criminals around the world should note: this is the 25th such transfer executed by this FBI in the last month alone, meaning no matter where you try to hide, we will find you.”
“The FBI will exercise all of its lawful authorities at home—and all of its extensive law enforcement partnerships abroad—to bring alleged criminals and fraudsters to justice,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “There is no safe harbor for criminals, no corner of the planet, where we will not work to seek justice for crime victims and the American taxpayer. The FBI extends its sincere gratitude to the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia and the Somali Police Force for their dedicated work in locating and apprehending an alleged leader in one of the most significant frauds against the American taxpayer ever detected in Minnesota. We also recognize the cooperative efforts of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of the Federal Republic of Somalia in facilitating this defendant’s transfer to the United States to answer the charges brought in this case.”
“While families relied on a vital assistance program to feed their children during the pandemic, Abdikerm Eidleh stole from it and fled the country rather than face justice,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “His return makes clear that time and distance cannot shield those who steal from the American people. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents used their forensic accounting expertise to follow the money, unravel this massive fraud scheme, and help bring Eidleh back to answer for his crimes alongside his already convicted co-conspirators.”
Eidleh is expected to make his initial appearance on July 17, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Note: Previous press release detailing Eidleh’s apprehension here.