District Not Recorded
The source did not name an office we could identify. These records remain unassigned rather than guessed.
Justice Department Files Complaint Against D.C. Bar Disciplinary Authorities over Their Weaponization of the Bar Disciplinary Process Against Federal Government AttorneysRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a complaint against D.C. Disciplinary Counsel Hamilton P. Fox III, the D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel, and the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility over their improper use of bar discipline to regulate the official actions of Federal Government attorneys. The filing advances President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government and Presidential Memorandum on Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Courts. Specifically, the complaint seeks to nullify the D.C. Bar’s unlawful prosecution of former Assistant Attorney General Jeff Clark based on internal deliberations relating to potential fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election, which remains the subject of litigation nearly six years later.
"As our complaint and history make clear, the DC Bar has long acted as a blatantly partisan arm of leftist causes. No more,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“President Trump promised to put an end to the weaponization of the legal process, and today’s lawsuit against the D.C. Bar makes good on that promise,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “The D.C. Bar will no longer be permitted to probe sensitive Executive Branch deliberations and target Executive Branch officials with whom they happen to politically disagree, and Federal attorneys will once again be free to share their candid legal advice with their bosses and colleagues.”
Just last week, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in support of former interim United States Attorney Ed Martin, who is seeking to have the D.C. Bar’s unlawful prosecution of him heard in a neutral Federal tribunal.
As three former Attorneys General recently recognized, the D.C. Bar’s efforts to discipline Justice Department attorneys “for making recommendations, factual assertions, and providing legal advice during confidential internal agency deliberations on law enforcement and sensitive public policy” are “improper and constitutionally impermissible.”
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward filed the complaint. The complaint is available here.
Illinois Tax Preparer Convicted at Trial After Stealing More Than $11 Million from Taxpayers in COVID-19 Assistance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Northern District of Illinois convicted an Illinois woman yesterday of unemployment insurance fraud for submitting false claims to a COVID-19 assistance program. From May 2020 and continuing through December 2022, Haim Hmaidan, 54, of Orland Park, Illinois, and her co-conspirators submitted nearly 700 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims that caused over $11 million in fraudulent unemployment benefits to be dispersed.
“Hiam Hmaidan stole more than $10 million from American taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic through an unemployment insurance fraud scheme that submitted nearly 700 fraudulent claims,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Fraud Division will continue to find and prosecute fraudsters who exploited a national crisis to steal from Federal benefit programs.”
“Hiam Hmaidan nefariously used the identities of her tax clients and others without their knowledge or consent to steal over $10 million in unemployment insurance benefits meant to support struggling Americans,” said Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito of the U.S. Department of Labor. “Her conviction sends a clear message: my office, alongside Vice President Vance's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, will relentlessly pursue those who commit fraud and hold them accountable. Protecting the integrity of these critical programs isn’t optional — it’s our highest priority. Fraud is a tax you never voted for, and we’re coming after the people collecting it.”
“This guilty verdict is justice for the American people,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “Hiam Hmaidan took advantage of a program people relied on to get through a very difficult time. She and her co-conspirators stole millions from taxpayers at a time when families were struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables. Working closely with our fellow law enforcement partners, IRS-CI followed the money to expose the full scope of this scheme and helped bring it to an end. This verdict sends a clear message that if you try to cash in on a national crisis, you will be brought to justice and held accountable for your crimes.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hmaidan operated an unemployment insurance fraud scheme in which she agreed with others to defraud the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, which Congress established in 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
Hmaidan, together with her co-conspirators, submitted claims containing false information regarding the claimants’ employment status and the impact of the pandemic on their ability to earn a living. Hmaidan abused her position as a tax preparer by submitting many of the fraudulent claims using her clients’ names and personal information. Based on those fraudulent claims, unemployment insurance benefits were loaded onto debit cards and mailed directly to Hmaidan or to addresses accessible to Hmaidan and her co-conspirators. Once Hmaidan and her co-conspirators obtained the debit cards, they used the fraudulent proceeds on the cards to withdraw approximately $2.8 million in cash from ATMs near where they lived.
The jury convicted Hmaidan of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and five counts of mail fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 2. Hmaidan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on all counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Shy Jackson and Meredith B. Healy 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.
Brooklyn Woman Sentenced in $600 Million Covid Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
A Brooklyn tax preparer was sentenced on Friday to 36 months in prison for her role in a fraud scheme that fraudulently claimed more than $600 million in COVID-19-related employment tax credits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tiffany Williams, 43, of Brooklyn, conspired with others to file tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit and paid sick and family leave credit, credits passed by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. From November 2021 to June 2023, Williams and her co-conspirators filed more than 8,000 false tax returns seeking COVID-19 related tax credits.
In total, Tiffany Williams and her co-conspirators sought more than $600 million in credits they and their clients were not entitled to receive, which caused a loss to the United States of approximately $45 million.
Williams previously pleaded to one count of wire fraud.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. for the Eastern District of New York made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Richard J. Kelley of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Toporovsky and James Simmons of the Eastern District of New York 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.
Justice Department Secures $30M Settlement with PayPal over DEI Investment ProgramRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department announced a settlement with PayPal Inc. to resolve a fair lending investigation into a discriminatory investment program created for black and minority-owned businesses. The settlement requires PayPal to launch a new Small Business Initiative that excludes criteria based on race, national origin, or other protected characteristics. As part of the initiative, PayPal will waive processing fees for $1 billion of transactions – a value of approximately $30 million – for eligible American small businesses that are veteran-owned or engaged in farming, manufacturing, or technology.
“This Department of Justice is delivering on President Trump’s vow to root out illegal DEI from every corner of corporate America,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “American corporations are on notice: you will face our aggressive enforcement if you use race or national origin to discriminate against qualified Americans.”
“With this settlement, PayPal agrees that race and national origin should play no part in determining which small businesses deserve its investment and financial support,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department will use the full range of its enforcement authorities to eliminate discrimination and ensure that all Americans have an equal opportunity to grow their small businesses.”
In addition to fee waivers, as part of the settlement PayPal will designate a director of the Small Business Initiative, conduct an assessment of the needs of American small businesses and determine how PayPal can best support them, submit plans and proposals for the initiative to the United States, provide training to employees on the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and report on the initiative annually.
PayPal announced the discriminatory Economic Opportunity Fund in 2020 to invest in black and minority-owned businesses. While the program gave a preference to businesses based on race, color, and national origin, it was not implemented to remediate any specific instances of past discrimination.
The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, because an applicant receives income from a public assistance program, or because an applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Foreign Operators and Technical Superintendent of M/V Dali Indicted for Roles in Key Bridge CrashRead the Press Release
Two corporate entities and a shoreside superintendent face criminal charges in connection with the vessel crash that knocked down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland.
A federal court unsealed an indictment today charging three defendants with conspiracy to defraud the United States and with causing the death of six construction workers on the bridge, among other charges.
On March 26, 2024, the Motor Vessel Dali, a 900-foot foreign flag container vessel, registered in Singapore, crashed into the bridge. The indictment alleges that the economic loss in this case is at least $5 billion.
Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, based in Chennai, India, along with Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who worked for both companies as the Technical Superintendent for the Dali, are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and false statements. The two Synergy corporations are also charged with misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, and Refuse Act for the discharge of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents, oil, and the bridge itself.
“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This indictment is a critical step toward holding accountable those whose reckless disregard for maritime safety regulations caused this disaster. Six construction workers lost their lives, critical infrastructure was destroyed, pollutants were released into the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay, and the economic damage now exceeds five billion dollars. This Department is committed to securing justice for the victims and ensuring those responsible are held to account.”
“This indictment is the first step in our efforts to hold those accountable who caused the tragic deaths of six people and catastrophic damage to our region,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “The safety of our residents, ports, and infrastructure is of utmost importance to the prosperity of the District of Maryland. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will continue to pursue those who commit crimes that jeopardize those interests.”
“The indictment alleges criminal conduct that not only destroyed the Key Bridge but brought the regional economy to its knees and claimed the lives of six Maryland residents,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Adherence to laws governing safe operation of commercial vessels is essential to doing business in our nation’s ports. We enforce these laws to protect the public from future disasters like this fatal crash.”
“The indictment reveals a pattern of deception and egregious violations that led to the unsafe operation of the Dali which recklessly endangered the public and resulted in the ship striking the bridge,” said Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “This indictment should send a message to all ship operators that circumventing safety requirements and breaking U.S. laws will not be tolerated. I am proud of FBI Baltimore’s investigative teams who worked diligently over the last two years to find the truth and to hold those responsible accountable.”
“The United States will not be a safe harbor for violators who pollute our nation’s waterways. Today’s indictment alleges that reckless cost-cutting by dishonest foreign corporations on a foreign-flagged vessel with a foreign crew carrying hazardous cargo resulted in death, disruption of our economy, and the discharge of oil and other chemicals into the Patapsco River and the Chesapeake Bay,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall of EPA’s Office for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Such tragedy must not happen again. This EPA will ensure that foreign companies do not profit off of polluting American communities. The hard work of our criminal investigators, who were among the first aboard the wrecked ship, was critical for securing this indictment, and we look forward to working with the Department of Justice to prosecute this case.”
“At the core of the Coast Guard's mission is the protection of life and property and the facilitation of commerce,” said Acting Director Zinnia James of the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS). “The charges announced today reflect the Coast Guard Investigative Service’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and integrity of our nation's maritime transportation system. This indictment alleges a reckless disregard for U.S. maritime laws and safety regulations, which had devastating consequences, leading to the tragic loss of six lives and catastrophic environmental and economic damage. Let this be a clear message: CGIS, alongside our federal law enforcement partners, will vigorously investigate and hold accountable any individual or corporation that compromises the safety of our ports and waterways.”
According to the indictment, the Dali lost power twice in a four-minute span, as it navigated out to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge. The indictment alleges that a loose wire in a high-voltage switchboard likely caused the first power loss. Critical systems on the Dali were originally designed with reliable redundancies and automatic restart capabilities, so the Dali could quickly regain power after a blackout. But shortly after the vessel regained power, it lost power again. According to the indictment, the defendants allegedly altered the ship and relied on a flushing pump to supply fuel to two of the Dali’s four generators. However, the flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart following a blackout, and the Dali’s generators could not operate without a fuel supply, so the ship ultimately experienced a second blackout. The indictment alleges that if the Dali used the proper fuel supply pumps, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely navigate under the Key Bridge.
Synergy and Nair are also charged with obstruction of an agency proceeding and providing false statements and documents to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as it conducted a casualty investigation. The obstruction charges relate to, among other things, Nair’s statements to the NTSB that he was unaware that that the Dali was using the flushing pump to provide fuel to the generators.
The FBI, CGIS, and the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps, Bijon Mostoufi, and Kimberly Phillips for the District of Mayland and Trial Attorney Leigh Rendé with ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case. Richard Udell, formerly of the Environmental Crimes Section, also assisted in this matter.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Another Member of Notorious Philadelphia ‘10th and O Crew’ Sentenced to 60 Months for Opioid Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today in the District of New Jersey to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance.
According to court documents, between July 2019 and July 2024, Michael Emma, 66, of Philadelphia, engaged in the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a member of South Philadelphia’s notorious “10th and O Crew.” Emma obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area, and he and his co-conspirators worked in shifts to distribute the pills from a 24-hour restaurant.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement purchased pills from one of Emma’s co-conspirators. A surveillance team then observed the co-conspirator counting the proceeds of the transaction with Emma. The photograph below captured Emma (on the left) after the transaction:
In June 2025, Emma pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. Emma’s co-conspirators and leaders of the 10th and O Crew, Michael Procopio and Frank Procopio, were each convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and sentenced to six years in prison and four years and nine months in prison, respectively.
The FBI, DEA, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
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.
More than 25 Defendants Charged in Nationwide Tren de Aragua Crackdown Resulting in the Seizure of over 80 Firearms and Narcotics in Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced charges against more than 25 individuals as part of a nationwide crackdown targeting the foreign terrorist organization (FTO), Tren de Aragua (TdA). Many of the defendants charged in this Homeland Security Task Force operation are illegal aliens from Venezuela, Colombia, and Honduras. TdA has been linked to various violent crimes inside and outside the United States, including murder, robbery, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, and controlled substance trafficking. Charges have been filed across six U.S. Attorney offices, including the Districts of Colorado, Southern Florida, Northern Indiana, Middle Tennessee, Western Tennessee, and Eastern Washington for offenses that include firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, among others.
This operation resulted in the seizure of more than 80 firearms and approximately 18 kilograms of drugs including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine, MDMA, and Tusi, a mixed substance that contains ketamine and/or MDMA. More than $100,000 in U.S. dollars was also seized. A number of investigations are still ongoing.
Firearms seized in the District of Colorado.
Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Department has federally charged over 260 members and associates of TdA.
“In a few days, the Justice Department and its partners on Joint Task Force Vulcan carried out a nationwide takedown of vicious Tren de Aragua terrorist networks — depraved, violent offenders who have illegally invaded our country and preyed upon American communities,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This effort underscores the Trump Administration’s dedication to restoring public safety, dismantling violent firearms and drug trafficking networks, and enforcing law and order.”
“Today’s enforcement actions reflect ATF’s unwavering commitment to dismantling violent transnational criminal organizations that traffic in firearms and fuel violence in our communities,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Robert Cekada. “Working with our local, state, and federal partners, we are identifying and disrupting the networks that arm and enable groups like Tren de Aragua. The seizure of firearms and dangerous narcotics underscores the critical nexus between illegal firearms trafficking and drug-related violence. ATF will continue to use every available tool to hold offenders accountable and protect the American public.”
“DEA has been instrumental in dismantling factions of the violent foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua, with enforcement actions spanning from Colorado to Tennessee, Florida, and beyond,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “TdA fuels instability and chaos, threatening communities across the United States. By leveraging DEA’s expertise alongside our federal partners through the Homeland Security Taskforce, we are harnessing the full force of the U.S. government to protect and safeguard our nation.”
“This is a massive and impactful takedown of over 25 TdA terrorists who wreaked havoc on our streets,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our fiercely dedicated federal, state, and local partners continue to put criminals trafficking drugs and guns endangering American lives, in prison in huge numbers. HSTF’s goal is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations in the United States by using all available law enforcement tools to do so. The incredible work and grit by the all the agencies of the Homeland Security Task Force and Joint Task Force Vulcan paid off with great results in this roundup with more to come.”
“The success of this operation is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our HSI special agents and the unwavering commitment of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “The Homeland Security Task Force’s mission is to safeguard the United States from transnational threats by leveraging intelligence-driven investigations and robust interagency collaboration. This TdA takedown demonstrates the power of unified action in disrupting dangerous criminal networks and protecting our communities.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) follows the money that fuels organizations like Tren de Aragua,” said IRS-CI Chief Jarod Koopman. “The charges against these more than 25 individuals show how financial investigations can expose and dismantle these networks. When we disrupt their finances, we disrupt their ability to traffic drugs, move firearms, and spread violence. Working with our partners through the Homeland Security Task Force, we are protecting communities across the country.”
Firearms seized in the Middle District of Tennessee.
The operation resulted in numerous federal prosecutions including:
DISTRICT OF COLORADO:
- Two Venezuelan nationals who entered the United States under the previous Administration’s policies are charged with conspiracy to illegally traffic in firearms, and one is charged with distributing “tusi,” a drug containing ketamine and MDMA. According to the criminal complaint and indictment, the defendants are alleged to have sold numerous firearms, including with obliterated serial numbers and several high-capacity firearms and magazines and ammunition, to an ATF undercover agent. The case was investigated by ATF, DEA, and HSI, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Twelve firearms and “tusi,” containing ketamine and MDMA, were seized in this ongoing investigation.
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE:
- Five defendants including two alleged associates of TdA or of a TdA splinter faction known as “Anti-Tren” have been charged in connection with drug and firearms trafficking. These defendants were arrested in Nashville, Tennessee; Louisiana; and Washington state and are facing several charges including drug trafficking conspiracy, using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense, firearms trafficking conspiracy, and other drug and gun trafficking offenses. Three of the five defendants are illegal aliens residing in Nashville, a fourth defendant is a Honduran national and lawful permanent resident residing in Nashville, and the fifth defendant is an illegal alien residing in Kennewick, Washington. The indictment and criminal complaint allege that since approximately 2025, the defendants have participated in trafficking in firearms and narcotics throughout the Middle District of Tennessee and elsewhere. HSI, ATF, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, and other law enforcement agencies conducted multiple undercover operations that have resulted in the seizure of 25 firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, extended magazines, a drum magazine, more than $8,000 cash and seizures of methamphetamine, MDMA and ketamine, and cocaine in the Middle District of Tennessee, with more firearms and narcotics being seized elsewhere as a result of this investigation. Of the 25 firearms seized in the Middle District of Tennessee, eight firearms were previously reported as stolen, and two have been tied to other crimes of violence based upon National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) results. Specifically, a Glock .40 caliber pistol has been preliminarily associated with a shooting in Nashville, that occurred on Nov. 30, 2023. And a Canik 9x19mm pistol has been preliminarily associated with a shooting involving multiple victims in Nashville, on Sept. 17, 2024.
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA:
- A criminal complaint has been filed charging three illegal aliens with alleged ties to TdA, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The three defendants are alleged to be associates of a defendant charged in the Middle District of Tennessee with ties to TdA, who facilitated the sales of large amounts of narcotics and firearms on separate occasions between the three charged defendants and an ATF undercover agent in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. In conjunction with these arrests, ATF agents seized 500 MDMA pills, two firearms, cocaine, ketamine, and methamphetamine.
TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities include a variety of violent and criminal offenses, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other acts of violence to enforce and further the organization’s criminal activities.
TdA has a splinter faction known as “Anti-Tren” — comprised of current and former members of TdA who are operating without or against the authority of TdA leadership in South America. Members of TdA and Anti-Tren have been identified and arrested across the United States, including in Colorado, Tennessee, New York, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, Washington, Georgia, Nebraska, Texas, and elsewhere. Members of TdA and Anti-Tren have also been known to engage in gun trafficking, drug trafficking, burglaries of ATM machines (also known as “ATM jackpotting”), and to coordinate their criminal activities with each other across state lines and with leaders located in South America, including Venezuela and Colombia.
These cases are part of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target Tren de Aragua. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; District of Nevada; and the District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Additionally, the Bureau of Prisons, FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Homeland Security Task Forces are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
Defendant Maikel Jesus Albornoz-Jimenez, a citizen of Venezuela illegally residing in Nashville, charged in the Middle District of Tennessee wearing what appears to be a Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales de la Policía Nacional Bolivariana (FAES) uniform.
These arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) 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. HSTFs Denver, Indianapolis, Nashville, and Seattle comprise agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Secret Service, among other federal, state, and local partners, with the prosecutions being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Colorado, Southern Florida, Northern Indiana, Middle Tennessee, Western Tennessee, and Eastern Washington.
An indictment and criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Highlighting Importance of Enabling Competition and Innovation in the Seeds IndustryRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in Corteva Agriscience LLC, et al. v. Inari Agriculture Inc. et al. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The statement of interest reaffirms the importance of the public’s ability to access and read patented biological material, which promotes follow-on innovation and competition in the seeds industry.
“The need for an affordable and secure food supply chain is vital for every American, and that begins with the seeds on which American farmers rely,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Ensuring that the path to innovation is accessible for businesses, both big and small, is essential for enabling robust competition in the seeds industry and benefits consumers.”
Intellectual property and antitrust laws are aligned in their goal of promoting dynamic competition through innovation. While taking no position on the ultimate disposition of the case, the statement of interest explains that the Patent Act represents a balance of incentives: inventors gain the benefit of exclusivity over the life of the patent but, in exchange, they must publicly disclose their invention to promote the state of the art and enable follow-on innovation. The public’s ability to understand a claimed invention is thus critical.
The U.S. seed industry is highly concentrated and characterized by high barriers to entry. The statement of interest explains that, for entry by new competitors to be possible, it is especially important that intellectual property protections are interpreted in a way that strikes the right balance between rewarding innovators and allowing follow-on innovation. In the seeds industry, reasonable access to patented seeds is crucial to enabling follow-on innovation which, in turn, paves the way for small businesses and new entrants to enter and compete in the market.
The Antitrust Division has established a Food Supply Chain Security Task Force to investigate anticompetitive behavior in food-related industries pursuant to the Executive Order on “Addressing Security Risks From Price Fixing and Anti-Competitive Behavior in the Food Supply Chain.”[1] The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court.
[1] Exec. Order No. 14,364, Addressing Security Risks From Price Fixing and Anti-Competitive Behavior in the Food Supply Chain, 90 Fed. Reg. 57349 (Dec. 6, 2025).
Department of Justice Files Complaint Against B.E.S.T. GDR, LLC, Doing Business as Premium Home Service, and its CEO Yosef Bernath for Violations of the FTC Act and Related LawsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, acting on a referral from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with the Attorney General of Illinois and the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today the filing of a civil complaint to stop an Illinois company and its owner from deceiving consumers in connection with the sale of home repair and improvement services in violation of federal and state law. The matter was investigated by the FTC and the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.
The Department of Justice filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, against B.E.S.T. GDR, LLC, doing business as Premium Home Service, and its founder and CEO, Yosef Bernath. As alleged in the complaint, the defendants orchestrated a nationwide scheme which deceived consumers who sought local home services, such as plumbing, heating, or electrical work. According to the complaint, the defendants fabricated local identities nationwide by creating over 15,000 fake business profiles on Google Search and Maps. These profiles allegedly used brick-and-mortar addresses often belonging to unrelated businesses and local phone numbers that routed to overseas call centers. The complaint further alleges that the defendants posted fake consumer reviews which praised their fake business profiles. In doing so, the defendants allegedly misappropriated the images of people from the staff directories of unrelated websites.
According to the complaint, the defendants collected fees by claiming to be a local company that provided services directly to the consumer. Instead, the defendants referred the work to third-party contractors. Posing as the defendants’ employees, many of these contractors lacked proper qualifications, performed substandard work, arrived late, or failed to appear at all. The complaint alleges that this conduct violates the FTC Act, the FTC Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, and the Illinois Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Additionally, the complaint alleges that the defendants violated the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act because they obtained consumers’ debit and credit card numbers by making false statements or representations about the nature and value of the defendants’ fees.
“When Americans shop for home services, they are not just choosing the lowest price; they are investing in their home and assessing the reliability of the person they let through the front door,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with the FTC to protect consumers from businesses that misrepresent their identities and the quality and reliability of their services.”
“Premium Home Service’s use of fake business profiles and reviews violates federal and state laws, harming consumers and businesses,” said Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The Trump-Vance FTC is committed to addressing deceptive conduct that harms the American people and undermines competition.”
“Premium Home Service spent years establishing fake businesses with fake reviews to lure in customers who were in need of home repairs,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “Individuals who scam the unsuspecting public have no place in our communities, and I appreciate the partnership of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice in working to hold this company accountable.”
The complaint seeks a permanent injunction to prohibit the defendants from future violations, monetary civil penalties, and redress for injury caused to consumers.
The United States is represented in this action by Assistant Director Patrick R. Runkle, Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson, and Trial Attorneys Cadesby B. Cooper and Colin W. Trundle, from the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch. The FTC is represented in this action by William J. Hodor and Karen D. Dodge. The Office of the Illinois Attorney General is represented by Assistant Attorneys General Amanda Palmer, Dale Lichtenstein, Thomas P. James, and Janice Parker.
Additional information about the Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch.
The Fraud Division Announces Enforcement Actions from Across the Country Representing Nearly $1 Billion in FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division continued to advance its mission to fight fraud and protect taxpayers. Just on Monday, two men were sentenced to 151 months and 36 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in submitting over $522 million in fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary genetic tests in a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance companies.
"The Fraud Division continues to grow its footprint and aggressively prosecute fraud schemes, no matter the size,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Every day, prosecutors and law enforcement partners across the country are working to protect Americans from fraudsters who want to steal citizens’ hard-earned prosperity.”
Benefits Program Fraud
A defendant was sentenced to 144 months in prison in the Middle District of Pennsylvania for fraudulently obtaining $59 million in public benefits and laundering the proceeds to China.
A defendant in Florida pleaded guilty to one count of receiving approximately $250,000 in stolen U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) disability compensation and benefits. The defendant falsely represented to the VA that he was legally blind and that his vision conditions prevented him from driving, working, and performing various daily functions.
A defendant pleaded guilty in Michigan to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to a decade-long, multi-million-dollar federal student loan fraud scheme. The defendant fraudulently caused more than $16 million in benefits to be awarded, with more than $10 million disbursed.
In Tennessee, a defendant pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to misrepresentations he made on his application for a $159,900 CARES Act loan, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead he used the proceeds for personal expenses.
Health Care Fraud
A former NFL player was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to defraud Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs out of nearly $200 million. The defendant was ordered to pay over $110 million in restitution and to forfeit approximately $17 million that was seized from bank accounts and other assets.
An optometric physician pleaded guilty in Tennessee for her role in defrauding Medicare out of $6.9 million. Over three-and-a-half years, the defendant used her practice to submit false claims seeking reimbursements from Medicare for new wound care products she had not actually purchased or used.
A pharmacy technician in Michigan pleaded guilty to a $5.6 million health care scheme and illegal distribution of Oxycodone. The defendant billed benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for prescription medications that he never dispensed and provided unlawful prescriptions of oxycodone to drug traffickers in exchange for cash.
A defendant in Oklahoma City was sentenced to 20 months in prison for a $1.1 million health care fraud scheme. The defendant submitted, and caused to be submitted, thousands of false and fraudulent claims to private insurance for behavioral health counseling sessions purportedly provided to family members.
Government Fraud
Four defendants, including two former U.S. Postal Service Employees, pleaded guilty for their involvement in a conspiracy to steal $84 million in U.S. Treasury checks. During the scheme, conspirators stole thousands of envelopes containing U.S. Treasury checks from mail sorting machines and then sold them to buyers around the country.
Tax Fraud
In South Florida, a tax preparer pleaded guilty for submitting false tax forms to support more than 200 fraudulent loan applications under the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program. The defendant and his co-conspirators used false records to seek more than $4.1 million in PPP loans.
Two defendants in Jacksonville, Florida, were sentenced to 57 months’ and 24 months’ imprisonment, respectively, for a $148 million construction payroll scheme that defrauded the IRS and workers’ compensation insurers. All told, the U.S. Treasury lost over $37 million in unpaid payroll taxes.
A tax preparer pleaded guilty in California to filing false tax returns to get substantial refunds for his clients and fraudulently including false information on COVID-19 business-relief loan applications, causing more than $ 25 million in losses to the government.
A Florida defendant was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for filing a false tax return and was ordered to pay $103,646 in restitution.
Financial Fraud
A New York federal grand jury indicted six defendants in a financial fraud scheme impacting victims across the country. According to the indictment, the defendants obtained stolen United States Treasury tax refund checks that were payable to other persons, and then used fraudulent identification documents to open bank accounts in the names of the persons the tax refund checks were payable.
* * * *
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 Sues to Revoke US Citizenship of Convicted Cuban SpyRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint yesterday against Victor Manuel Rocha in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Rocha is a native of Colombia who was convicted of serving as an unregistered agent for the Republic of Cuba.
“Under no circumstances should an agent of a foreign adversary be permitted to hold the title of American citizen,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. “Our mission is clear: to root out these fraudsters and preserve the sanctity of the naturalization process for those who adhere to our laws. Any individual who lied during the naturalization process to gain a foothold in this country will be met with the full weight of the Department of Justice.”
“Victor Manuel Rocha was not a low-level operative. He was a former United States Ambassador and senior government official who admitted he secretly served the Cuban regime for decades,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The Southern District of Florida helped take down one of the most prolific Cuban spies ever uncovered in the United States. This civil denaturalization case is about finishing the job. The complaint alleges that Rocha obtained American citizenship through lies, concealment, and betrayal. A person who secretly serves communist Cuba should not keep the privilege of United States citizenship, even while in prison.”
The U.S. seeks an order revoking Rocha’s naturalization based on his admission in criminal proceedings that he began spying for Cuba in 1973 before he naturalized in 1978. When he applied for naturalization, Rocha represented under penalty of perjury that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested; he was not affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba; he had not advocated, believed in, or knowingly supported and furthered the interests of Communism; and he believed in the U.S. Constitution and the form of government of the U.S. None of these were true.
In 2023, Rocha was charged with several counts related to spying for the Republic of Cuba and passport fraud. U.S. v. Rocha, No. 1:23-cr-20464-Bloom (S.D. Fla. Dec. 5, 2023). In April 2024, Rocha admitted that, starting in or around 1973, he secretly supported the Republic of Cuba and its clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the U.S. by serving as a covert agent of Cuba’s intelligence services. He pleaded guilty and was convicted of Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of a Foreign Government and to Defraud the United States and Acting as an Illegal Agent of a Foreign Government. He was sentenced to and is serving a 15-year sentence.
The U.S. will bring seven independent counts seeking the revocation of his U.S. citizenship. Rocha was not qualified for naturalization for several reasons, including that he committed unlawful acts, gave false testimony during his naturalization examination, was not attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and not well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the U.S., was affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba, and advocated for communism. The U.S. will also seek the revocation of his naturalization because he procured his citizenship by concealing material facts or willful misrepresenting several facts in naturalization proceedings related to spying for Cuba.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Denaturalization Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida are litigating the case.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Moves to Denaturalize 12 Individuals for Concealing Terrorist Support, War Crimes, Espionage, Sexual Abuse, and MoreRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it filed denaturalization actions in various U.S. district courts against 12 individuals accused of serious offenses—including providing material support to a terrorist group, committing war crimes, and sexually abusing a minor.
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.
“Individuals implicated in committing fraud, heinous crimes such as sexual abuse, or expressing support for terrorism should never have been naturalized as United States citizens,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Trump administration is taking action to correct these egregious violations of our immigration system. Those who intentionally concealed their criminal histories or misrepresented themselves during the naturalization process will face the fullest extent of the law.”
“This Department of Justice continues to file denaturalization actions at record speeds to restore integrity in our naturalization process,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The disturbing criminal histories confirm these individuals should have never received the privilege of U.S. citizenship. We remain committed to leveraging every tool available under the law to pursue those who obtain their U.S. citizenship unlawfully.”
- Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri (Age 48/Iraq): On Friday, May 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the United States District Court in Phoenix, Arizona, against Ali Yousif Ahmed, a native of Iraq. Ahmed entered the United States in 2009 based on a claim that he and his family were attacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq. In 2019, the Republic of Iraq requested that the United States extradite Ahmed to Iraq to face criminal charges for the premediated murder of two Iraqi police officers in 2006. Iraq claims that Ahmed murdered the police officers as a leader in the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Upon further investigation, United States learned that, in 2015, Ahmed illegally procured his naturalization, which warrants his denaturalization, because he lied under oath about his criminal and family history when he sought admission to the United States and naturalized as a U.S. citizen.
- Oscar Alberto Pelaez (Age 75/Colombia): The United States has also brought a denaturalization action against Oscar Alberto Pelaez, a Colombian Roman Catholic priest, who, from 1998 to 2000, sexually abused a child on multiple occasions from the time that child was 14 until he was 17 years old. In 2002, Mr. Pelaez pleaded guilty to and was convicted of thirteen counts of sexual assault against a child, including two counts of oral copulation with a person under eighteen years of age, and two counts of sodomy of a person under eighteen years of age. Mr. Pelaez lied about the commission of these crimes in connection with his naturalization application. The United States has brought four claims against Mr. Pelaez 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.
- Khalid Ouazzani (Age 48/Morocco): When Khalid Ouazzani, a native of Morocco, applied for U.S. citizenship in 2005 and again when he naturalized in 2006, he swore to his attachment to the principles of the Constitution of the United States. Those oaths were false because as early as 2003, Kahlid was planning—with two men later convicted of trying to bomb the New York Stock exchange—ways to support Al‑Qaida. By 2007, just one year after he naturalized, he sent Al‑Qaida tens of thousands of dollars in financial support with money that he had fraudulently obtained, and in 2008, he took an oath of allegiance to that terrorist organization. In May 2010, Ouazzani pleaded guilty to bank fraud, money laundering, and providing material support to Al-Qaida. The denaturalization complaint filed against Ouazzani alleges that he gave false testimony during his naturalization proceedings about his attachment to the Constitution and because his affiliation and membership with Al-Qaida within five years of his naturalization constitutes prima facie evidence that when he naturalized, he lacked the requisite attachment to the Constitution.
- Salah Osman Ahmed (Age 43/Somalia): Ahmed was not attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution when he naturalized in 2007. Just months after he naturalized, Ahmed began providing material support to terrorists. Ahmed traveled to Somalia to fight and kill Ethiopians and joined the terrorist group al-Shabaab. On July 28, 2009, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, he pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(a). Ahmed joined al-Shabaab, and his membership of, or affiliation with al-Shabaab within five years of naturalization would have precluded him from citizenship. Ahmed procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentation, for joining al-Shabaab shortly after his naturalization.
- Baboucarr Mboob (Age 58/Gambia): On November 11, 1994, Baboucarr Mboob, a native of The Gambia, while serving as a military police officer in the Gambian army, participated, along with fifteen other soldiers, in the execution of six officers following the orders from his commanding officer who believed the victims were plotting a counter-coup against then President Yahya Jammeh – all without giving their victims the benefit of a trial. Mboob concealed his involvement in war crimes and acts of persecution throughout his immigration and naturalization proceedings after entering the United States 2002, naturalizing as a U.S. citizen in 2011. But, in testimony before a hearing of The Gambian Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) held on April 9, 2019, Mr. Mboob admitted to executing his six fellow officers. The Unites States is seeking to revoke his certificate of naturalization because he obtained his U.S. citizenship illegally by concealing material fact and willfully misrepresented his military background.
- Kevin Robin Suarez (Age 31/Bolivia): Beginning in May 2016, and continuing for ten months after his January 2017 naturalization, Kevin Robin Suarez engaged in a conspiracy to purchase firearms through straw purchasers for the eventual exportation of the firearms to Bolivia and other Latin American countries. Working with his sister, Suarez solicited individuals to purchase firearms on their behalf from licensed federal firearms dealers and provided those firearms to Suarez’s father. These firearms were part of a larger network of gun trafficking from South Florida to Bolivia by Bolivian nationals in the United States. Once in Bolivia, the guns were often sent to drug trafficking organizations in Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru, fueling drug violence there. Suarez pled guilty to conspiracy to cause false statements to be made to federally-licensed firearms dealers, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(1)(A), in February 2020. Suarez illegally procured his naturalization as a United States citizen because his crime precluded the required good moral character to naturalize. Also, SUAREZ falsely testified under oath and misrepresented and concealed facts that were material to determining his naturalization eligibility.
- Abduvosit Razikov (Age 46/Uzbekistan): In 2005, Abduvosit Razikov, a native of Uzbekistan, paid a U.S. citizen to enter into a sham marriage with him so that he could procure permanent residency in the United States. Then, in 2007, Razikov paid another U.S. citizen to enter into a sham marriage with Razikov’s actual romantic partner so she could enter the United States from Uzbekistan. In 2010, Razikov divorced his U.S. citizen “wife,” and in 2012, he naturalized. Months later, Razikov engaged in a third sham marriage, this time marrying another Uzbekistani woman (not his own romantic partner) so she could obtain immigration benefits. The denaturalization complaint filed against Razikov alleges that he never lawfully acquired the permanent resident status required to naturalize because of his sham marriage and immigration fraud, that his unlawful acts and false testimony about those acts precluded him from establishing the good moral character required for naturalization, and that he obtained his naturalization by concealment or willful misrepresentation of materials facts.
- Abdallah Osman Sheikh (Age 28/Kenya): Abdallah Osman Sheikh, a resident of Fairdale, Kentucky, unlawfully procured his naturalization and obtained his naturalization by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. Specifically, in July 2019, before he naturalized, but while he was in the Marines, Sheikh possessed indecent digital images of two minor individuals and posted an indecent digital image of one of them to his social media account. Those crimes and his efforts to hide those crimes from the government throughout his naturalization proceedings warrant Sheikh’s denaturalization pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1451(a). In addition, Sheikh naturalized based on his military service, but received an other than honorable discharge (for misconduct) from the U.S. Marines after failing to serve honorably for five years, warranting his denaturalization under 8 U.S.C. § 1440(c).
- Debashis Ghosh (Age 62/India): Before Debashis Ghosh naturalized, he conspired to defraud investors of $2.5 million intended for the construction of an aircraft maintenance facility. After naturalizing, Ghosh, a native of India, continued the fraudulent scheme, misrepresenting the location and safekeeping of the investor funding. But in his 2012 naturalization application and interview, Ghosh claimed that he had never committed a crime or offense for which he had not arrested. The denaturalization complaint against Ghosh alleges that he is subject to denaturalization because during the period in which he was statutorily required to demonstrate good moral character, he committed a crime involving moral turpitude, committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on his moral character, and falsely testified about his crime. Additionally, Ghosh willfully misrepresented the material fact of his crime during his naturalization proceedings.
- Pin He (Age 53/China): After he was ordered removed under the name Chun Di He in 1992, Pin He applied for an immigration benefit the very next year under a different identity. That application was granted, and in 2007, Mr. He obtained permanent residence. In 2013, Defendant naturalized under the identity and immigration history of Pin He, without ever disclosing his prior removal order under the Chun Di He. Because Mr. He obtained his citizenship after concealing his prior identity and misrepresenting his eligibility for citizenship, the United States is seeking to revoke his certificate of naturalization.
- George Oyakhire (Age 66/Nigeria): Mr. Oyakhire naturalized under a false identity. Mr. Oyakhire, who was born in Nigeria, first entered the United States on October 18, 1986, using a visa issued in his true name, George Ofuan Oyakhire. Approximately two years later, on September 2, 1988, Mr. Oyakhire obtained temporary resident status using a false name, “Oliver Bennett Oyakhire,” and a false date of birth. On December 1, 1990, Mr. Oyakhire adjusted his status to that of a lawful permanent resident using the false Oliver Bennett Oyakhire identity. On September 12, 1995, again using the false Oliver Bennett Oyakhire identity, Mr. Oyakhire filed an application for naturalization, which was approved on March 22, 1996. On April 22, 1996, Mr. Oyakhire became a naturalized citizen, under the false name Oliver Bennett Oyakhire.
- Victor Manuel Rocha (Age 75/Colombia): Mr. Rocha is a native of Colombia who was convicted of serving as an unregistered agent for the Republic of Cuba. The U.S. seeks an order revoking Rocha’s naturalization based on his admission in criminal proceedings that he began spying for Cuba in 1973 before he naturalized in 1978. When he applied for naturalization, Rocha represented under penalty of perjury that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested; he was not affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba; he had not advocated, believed in, or knowingly supported and furthered the interests of Communism; and he believed in the U.S. Constitution and the form of government of the U.S. None of these were true.
These cases were prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from USCIS, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Arizona, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of California, District of Minnesota, Middle District of Florida, Western District of Kentucky, District of Columbia, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Southern District of Iowa, and Northern District of Illinois.
The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Former NFL Player Sentenced to over 16 Years in Prison for $197M Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
A former NFL player who owned a marketing company and was the beneficial owner of eight durable medical equipment (DME) companies was sentenced yesterday to 196 months in prison for his role in a yearslong scheme to bilk Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) out of nearly $200 million by selling patient information and sham doctors’ orders for orthotic braces that patients did not want or need.
In addition to the prison sentence, the defendant, Joel Rufus French, 47, of Armory, Mississippi, was ordered to pay $110,753,619 in restitution and to forfeit approximately $17 million that the government seized from bank accounts and other assets.
“Fueled by lies, bribes, and overseas telemarketers, this corrupt scheme preyed on senior citizens and disabled veterans to flood the country with unnecessary medical devices — and then billed the taxpayer for it,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Today’s sentence makes clear that if you target America’s elderly, sick, or vulnerable — and rob America’s purse doing so — you will be targeted and brought to justice.”
“The defendant orchestrated a brazen, yearslong scheme that preyed on elderly patients and the families of disabled and deceased veterans to steal millions from Medicare and CHAMPVA,” 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). “By hiding behind overseas call centers, sham telemedicine companies, and straw‑owned DME suppliers, he exploited some of the most vulnerable people these programs were created to protect. This lengthy sentence underscores the seriousness of his crimes and sends a clear message: HHS‑OIG and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in safeguarding taxpayer‑funded programs and ensuring those who seek to defraud them will be found, stopped, and held accountable.”
“Schemes such as these compromise the integrity of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) programs and services and divert funds from our nation’s deserving veterans and their families,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Wentz of the VA Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudsters and hold them accountable.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, French worked with overseas telemarketing call centers that pressured elderly Americans to provide their personal and health insurance information and agree to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces. In certain instances, the call centers altered call recordings to make it seem like Medicare patients agreed to the braces when they did not.
French paid sham telemedicine companies kickbacks to obtain signed doctors’ orders from doctors and nurse practitioners who never examined, and often never even spoke to, the patients. He sold the orders to marketers and medical supply companies, which then submitted claims to Medicare. French also defrauded Medicare and CHAMPVA, the health care program for spouses and children of veterans who have or had a permanent and total service-connected disability or who died from a service-connected condition, by billing the programs for orthotic braces through eight DME supply companies that he owned and managed, using straw owners and false documents to hide his connection to the companies from Medicare. French also laundered approximately $225,000 in cash from a bank in Mississippi, over $10,000 of which was placed in a bag and driven to Orlando to pay accomplices who sold him beneficiaries’ personal and insurance information.
After a six-day jury trial ending in February, French was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to offer, pay, solicit, and receive kickbacks.
HHS-OIG, FBI, and VA OIG investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney William Hochul 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.
Mother and Daughter Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding the CNMI Public School SystemRead the Press Release
SAIPAN, CNMI – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that on May 6, 2026, the Honorable Ramona V. Manglona sentenced a mother and her daughter in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands for their roles in a procurement fraud and money laundering scheme targeting the CNMI Public School System (PSS), a recipient of Federal grant money.
Clarissa Adlawan, age 55, a lawful permanent resident of the United States originally from the Philippines, was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). The Court also ordered her to serve three years of supervised release and complete 100 hours of community service.
Giselle Butalid, age 34, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from the Republic of the Philippines and a resident of Saipan, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). The Court also imposed three years of supervised release and ordered her to complete 100 hours of community service.
The Court further ordered that the defendants were jointly and severally liable for restitution in the amount of $548,788 and that two properties they owned in the Philippines were subject to forfeiture.
The conspiracy involved theft from a state entity receiving more than $10,000 per year in federal funding, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(A) when charged individually. PSS was such an entity. Butalid worked for PSS and had access to its procurement process. She used that position to betray the trust of those responsible for educating the CNMI’s children, depriving those children of desperately needed resources while enriching herself and her mother.
The prosecution commended the defendants’ early acceptance of responsibility and expressions of remorse but argued Adlawan had failed to provide information about a nine room house she had built in the Philippines. Evidence established that Adlawan used PSS’s stolen money for the house’s construction. Adlawan’s plea agreement required her to provide information and help the Government acquire the property so it could be liquidated and the proceeds applied toward restitution. The Court agreed and denied Adlawan the benefit of accepting responsibility.
According to court documents, from October 2021 through August 2022, Butalid and Adlawan used their company, One Legacy LLC, to sell educational material while concealing the conflict of interest from PSS. Investigators then determined that Butalid forged documents to conceal that several of procurements were in fact “ghost” purchases. The defendants simply pocketed payments for materials that PSS never ordered. Upon receiving funds, the defendants frequently traveled to the Philippines, staying in luxury hotels, withdrawing large amounts of cash, and building the aforementioned house.
Examples cited in Court documents include:
Payments of $50,000 and $52,500 to One Legacy for online learning materials that were never procured. Shortly after the payments, Butalid and Adlawan flew to the Philippines and withdrew approximately $10,000 in cash from ATMs.
A $113,020 payment for another fraudulent purchase, followed by cash withdrawals totaling roughly $65,000 before another overseas trip. This final payment came shortly after PSS confronted Butalid about her connection to the companies. She resigned but remained long enough to commit this one last act of fraud, according to prosecutors.
“The defendants’ conduct went beyond defrauding government agencies,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Ultimately, children were deprived of educational resources and opportunities to learn. Any sense of justice required terms of imprisonment. We will continue to seek accountability through the repatriation of any foreign assets held by these defendants. Our interagency partners did outstanding work in investigating this complex financial crime to combat the fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer funds.”
“Cases like this one clearly demonstrate the destructiveness of greed: funds that would have otherwise been used for the benefit of our communities’ children instead went to finance the dream house of a fraudster,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “Defrauding the government may seem harmless, but as this case so clearly shows, these crimes have direct, severe, and negative impacts on our community. Today’s sentencings are a continued reminder that justice will be served on those who choose their greed above all else.”
“This sentencing represents the culmination of a significant effort by a dedicated team of exceptional investigators. I am particularly proud that U.S. federal agencies conducted this investigation in partnership with the CNMI Office of the Public Auditor,” said David A. House, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Interior Inspector General, Program Fraud Unit. “This collaboration underscores the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to ensuring that funds intended for the schoolchildren of the CNMI are used appropriately, and that anyone who misuses those funds is held fully accountable, regardless of their location.”
“The defendants’ actions represent a profound betrayal of the students, teachers, and community who relied on them for honest public service,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “These individuals exploited that trust for their own enrichment. Today’s outcome demonstrates that those who choose greed over their commitment to serve the community will be brought to justice.”
“We value the strong working relationship between the Office of the Public Auditor and our federal counterparts, “said the CNMI Office of the Public Auditor. “The success in this case demonstrates what can be accomplished through coordinated oversight, teamwork, and a shared commitment to protecting public resources and ensuring accountability.”
The investigation was conducted by IRS–Criminal Investigation, Office of the Inspector General - Department of Interior, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Office of the Public Auditor.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. O’Malley for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts 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.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking in Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Maximo Pepin, aka Manny, 30, to 15 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. Pepin pleaded guilty on July 22, 2025.
According to court records, in 2024 and 2025, Pepin oversaw what was known as the most prolific drug operation in southern Maine. He and associates brought kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine from Massachusetts to Maine, where Pepin directed downstream distribution to drug traffickers within Maine. Agents with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) developed evidence regarding Pepin’s operation, seized drugs supplied by Pepin, and ultimately intercepted Pepin’s phone and text communications in the spring of 2025. Through those interceptions, investigators learned that Pepin repeatedly threatened violence as part of his operation. He threatened to kill one associate who obtained drugs from him and discussed putting battery acid in the drugs of another individual for stealing money from him. When he was arrested in April 2025, he was found in possession of phones used to run his drug network and a handgun with an extended magazine. Pepin has prior convictions in Massachusetts for drug trafficking, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
The DEA investigated this case, with assistance from the FBI, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine State Police, the Portland Police Department, the South Portland Police Department, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Maine HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; IRS-Criminal Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Border Patrol; Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.
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Justice Department Requires Agri Stats to End Exchange of Competitively Sensitive Information Among Nation’s Largest Meat Processors that Suppressed Competition and Increased Prices for DecadesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a proposed settlement today to resolve the United States’ claims against Agri Stats Inc. (Agri Stats) for unlawful information sharing of price, output, and costs among competing meat processors. Filed in the District of Minnesota, the proposed settlement will help lower food prices, undo decades of distorted competition in the broiler chicken market, and ensure that the pork and turkey markets remain free from these anticompetitive practices that harmed American consumers across the country.
“A stable and affordable food supply is critical to our country’s well-being,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Department of Justice is laser-focused on making everyday life affordable for all Americans.”
“A fair market depends on real competition, not privileged access to competitors’ playbooks,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “When dominant firms share sensitive data in ways that exclude buyers and the public, they gain an artificial advantage that weakens market discipline and drives up prices for everyday Americans. This settlement proves the Department’s commitment to promoting transparency in the marketplace, enforcing the law, and delivering real relief for American consumers at the grocery store.”
“The American people should not have to tolerate business models that only increase their cost of living. The Antitrust Division’s mission is to use the antitrust laws to protect American consumers from inflated prices,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This settlement delivers immediate relief in the meat section of grocery stores across our nation. I am grateful for my talented staff’s dedicated efforts in securing instant justice and to the Attorneys General from California, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah for partnering with us on this matter.”
Agri Stats is a data-sharing and consulting company that currently operates in the broiler chicken market and has historically operated in the pork and turkey markets. Agri Stats collects information on prices, output, and costs directly from meat processors’ accounting systems, standardizes that data, and redistributes it back to the processors in granular detail through digital and written reports and in-person meetings. Agri Stats and meat processors have historically refused to make this information available to meat buyers like restaurants, grocery stores, and food distributors. “When companies decide certain information is too sensitive to share with the broader market, but not too sensitive to share with their closest competitors, that is a significant red flag that competition is being harmed,” said Mr. Assefi.
As alleged in the complaint, this one-sided information exchange reduced competition and enabled systematic price increases and coordinated decisions about how much meat to produce.
The proposed settlement brings an end to important anticompetitive features of Agri Stats’ information exchange. If approved by the court, the proposed settlement will require Agri Stats to:
- Stop providing any sales reports or non-public pricing information, which chicken, pork, and turkey processors have systematically used to identify opportunities to increase prices;
- Stop reporting production, cost, and labor data at either the company or facility level, which enabled competing processors to adjust output, pricing, or both based on near-total visibility into their rivals’ operations;
- Make the vast majority of information that Agri Stats distributes available to all interested domestic purchasers on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, eliminating the asymmetry of its prior information sharing and increasing market transparency;
- Adhere to restrictions on the timeliness of the information that Agri Stats shares;
- Report to a court-approved monitor selected by the Department of Justice who will be responsible for reporting on and ensuring compliance with the proposed settlement; and
- Establish an antitrust compliance program to ensure data security, whistleblower protections, and mandatory reporting of any future potential violations of the antitrust laws.
Agri Stats’ subsidiary Express Markets Inc. (EMI) will be permitted to continue to provide its price reports in substantially the same manner as it has in the past. Because EMI’s price reports are less detailed and provided to all interested parties, not only meat processors, they were not the focus of the case.
As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any interested person should submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days following the publication to Kate Riggs, Acting Chief, Anti-Monopoly and Collusion Enforcement Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street NW, Suite 8000, Washington, DC 20530. At the conclusion of the public comment period, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota may enter the final judgment upon finding it is in the public interest.
Anyone with information about anticompetitive conduct in agricultural industries or any other violations of the antitrust laws is encouraged to contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or [email protected]. Information about anticompetitive practices in livestock and poultry markets can also be submitted to the USDA’s and Justice Department’s Agricultural Markets Enforcement Partnership at www.farmerfairness.gov.
Agri Stats is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Note: Read the Proposed Final Judgement here, and the Stipulation and Order here.
Justice Department Sues Colorado for Unconstitutional Weapons Ban of Standard-Capacity Firearms MagazinesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department filed suit against the State of Colorado alleging that the State unconstitutionally bans certain constitutionally protected standard capacity firearm magazines. This law unconstitutionally infringes on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms in common use for lawful purposes.
“Colorado’s ban on certain magazines is political virtue signaling at the expense of Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under my direction, the Division’s Second Amendment Section will continue to defend law-abiding Americans’ rights against unconstitutional restrictions on their right to possess arms which are owned by tens of millions of their fellow citizens.”
As the complaint explains, a State of Colorado statute makes it a crime to possess so-called “large-capacity magazines.” But the State has previously admitted that it bans magazines that come standard with many of the most popular firearms in the Nation, including AR-15-style rifles, which are the most popular rifles in America. Law-abiding Americans own hundreds of millions of magazines such as those banned by the State.
In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its landmark decision District of Columbia v. Heller, held that the Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding citizens to possess weapons that are in common use for lawful purposes.
The Civil Rights Division’s Second Amendment Section enforces the Second Amendment. If you believe your right to keep and bear arms is being infringed, please submit a complaint through justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.
Justice Department Notifies Fairfax County, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney of Investigation into His Plea Bargaining, Charging Decisions, and Sentencing PolicyRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department notified the Fairfax County, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano of the initiation of a federal investigation into the Commonwealth’s Attorney Plea Bargaining, Charging Decisions, and Sentencing Policy. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will investigate whether the Office of the Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney discriminated against United States citizens by offering preferential treatment only to illegal alien criminal defendants.
“Under my leadership, the Civil Rights Division will not allow local prosecutors to pick and choose winners based on their immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This investigation will uncover whether this prosecutor is putting the community at risk in offering sweetheart deals to illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes.”
The Department has not reached any conclusions regarding allegations in these matters. The Department will investigate under various statutes, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Safe Streets Act, and law enforcement misconduct statute 34 U.S.C. § 12601. The Department has conducted similar investigations where violations have been found, and the resulting settlement agreements have led to important reforms.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department via civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Sues the City of Denver for Unconstitutional Weapons BansRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department filed suit against the City of Denver, Colorado alleging that the City unconstitutionally bans certain constitutionally protected semi-automatic rifles. These laws unconstitutionally infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms in common use for lawful purposes.
As the complaint explains, the City enforces an ordinance that makes it a crime to possess so-called “assault weapons.” But that the City’s ban includes AR-15-style rifles, which are the most popular rifles in America. Law-abiding Americans own tens of millions of rifles like those banned by the City.
“The Constitution is not a suggestion and the Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Denver's ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles directly violates the right to bear arms. This Department of Justice will vigorously defend the liberties of law-abiding citizens nationwide.”
“I have directed the Civil Rights Division, through our new Second Amendment Section, to defend law-abiding Americans from restrictions such as those we are challenging in these cases,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “Law-abiding Americans, regardless of what city or state they reside in, should not have to live under threat of criminal sanction just for exercising their Second Amendment right to possess arms which are owned by tens of millions of their fellow citizens.”
In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its landmark decision District of Columbia v. Heller, held that the Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding citizens to possess weapons that are in common use for lawful purposes.
The Civil Rights Division’s Second Amendment Section enforces the Second Amendment. If you believe your right to keep and bear arms is being infringed, please submit a complaint through justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.
Two Sentenced to Prison for $522M Genetic Testing Fraud and Illegal Kickback Scheme Targeting Medicare and MedicaidRead the Press Release
Two men were sentenced today for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance companies by submitting over $522 million in fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary genetic tests that were obtained through the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes.
Reyad Salahaldeen, 57, of Buford, Georgia, was sentenced to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Mohamad Mustafa, 28, of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to paying health care kickbacks.
“Under the guise of health care, these two fraudsters attempted to steal more than half a billion dollars from taxpayers through a web of sham contracts, lies, and bribes,” said Colin M. McDonald, Assistant Attorney for the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “These schemes deplete America’s pocketbook and destroy the trust in medicine that patients deserve and demand. The Department of Justice will remain vigilant in our efforts to deter those defrauding the American people in the name of health care. I thank the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners at FBI and HHS-OIG who worked tirelessly for this just outcome.”
According to court documents, Salahaldeen controlled four laboratories, Express Diagnostics, LLC, in New Jersey (Express); BioConfirm Laboratory USA, LLC and BioConfirm Laboratories, LLC, in Georgia (BioConfirm); and Tox Management, LLC and Tri-State Toxicology, LLC, both in Texas. From 2018 through August 2020, Salahaldeen and co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to a network of purported “marketers” who targeted individuals covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance and induced them to provide their health insurance information and DNA samples in order to obtain costly genetic tests designed to predict the risk of cancer, adverse drug reactions, and other conditions. The marketers obtained DNA samples through telemarketing, door-to-door solicitation, appearances at health fairs, and other methods of in-person solicitation. Further, the marketers, at the direction of Salahaldeen and co-conspirators and in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, obtained fraudulent laboratory requisition forms for the tests from medical providers who had not treated or consulted with the beneficiaries, and did not use the test results in treatment. As part of the scheme, Salahaldeen falsified laboratory requisition forms, letters of medical necessity, and other medical records to make the tests appear legitimate.
After the indictment was returned and he learned of the warrant for his arrest, Salahaldeen sought to evade law enforcement by traveling from North Carolina to Texas, where he attempted to enter Mexico. Salahaldeen was apprehended at the border when he falsely presented another person’s identification in a further attempt to evade arrest and prosecution.
Mustafa, who controlled Express and BioConfirm with Salahaldeen, participated in the scheme by paying kickbacks and bribes to various marketers to induce them to obtain DNA samples and fraudulent test requisition forms from medical providers. To conceal the scheme, Mustafa and Salahaldeen created sham contracts, invoices, and other documentation that disguised the illegal kickbacks and bribes as payments for purported marketing services.
The four laboratories billed approximately $522 million in false and fraudulent claims, of which Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers paid approximately $84 million.
In addition to the prison sentences, Salahaldeen was ordered to pay $84,594,165 in restitution and to forfeit $3,044,866 from two bank accounts, a 2019 GMC Yukon, and properties in Texas and Georgia. Mustafa was ordered to pay $64,301,569 in restitution.
Eleven of Salahaldeen and Mustafa’s co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty in connection with this fraud scheme and were sentenced as follows:
- Travores Wills, a marketer, was sentenced to 46 months in prison
- Elijua Watson, a marketer, was sentenced to 27 months in prison
- Diego Pancha Valencia, a marketer, was sentenced to 26 months in prison
- Shauntae Walker, a nurse practitioner, was sentenced to 24 months in prison
- Cassandra Latham, a nurse practitioner, was sentenced to 21 months in prison
- LaTosha McCune, a marketer, was sentenced to 18 months in prison
- Vinit Patel, a medical doctor, was sentenced to 12 months in prison
- Jose Rodriguez Ospina, a medical doctor, was sentenced to 12 months in prison
- Edward Giles, a marketer, was sentenced to 12 months in prison
- Derek McCune, a marketer, was sentenced to 12 months in prison
- Nelson Giraldo, a medical doctor, was sentenced to 6 months of house arrest and 3 years of probation
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; 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); and Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Acting Principal Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Acting Assistant Chief Gary A. Winters 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 eight 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.
Texas Doctor Convicted for Illegally Distributing More than a Million PillsRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Southern District of Texas convicted a Texas physician yesterday for unlawfully distributing more than a million pills of opioids and other dangerous controlled substances.
“Medical physicians who exploit their prescribing authority for profit over patient care break an inherent trust with their patients and we will hold them accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Department of Justice remains committed to protecting the public from dangerous and unlawful distribution of controlled substances, especially when the drug dealer is a doctor.”
“Patients put their trust and their lives into the hands of our medical and health care professionals,” said DEA Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz. “The highly addictive, dangerous misused drugs in this case – oxycodone and hydrocodone – are meant to treat pain, not cause it. DEA remains relentless in our pursuit of those who poison our communities and exploit our health care system, all to line their own pockets with the profit from other’s pain.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Barbara Marino, M.D., 65, of Tomball, was the sole prescribing physician at Angels Clinica. From Angels Clinica, Marino prescribed the highly dangerous, addictive, and commonly abused opioids oxycodone and hydrocodone and the muscle relaxer carisoprodol. Marino prescribed these drugs from a clinic hiding in plain sight, behind mirrored windows, in a Houston strip mall:
Image of Clinic Where Marino Prescribed Drugs (Gov’t Trial Ex. No. 301)
Many of the patients who received prescriptions from Marino were brought to Angels Clinica by street-level drug dealers, often called “crew leaders” or “runners.” These crew leaders and runners brought patients to Marino for prescriptions, filled those prescriptions at Houston-area pharmacies, and then sold the pills on the street. Angels Clinica was a cash-only clinic, charging people based on what drug Marino would prescribe them. In less than a year, Marino received more than $400,000 from Angels Clinica’s owners for writing prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose and were outside the usual course of professional medical practice.
Marino’s prescribing exhibited many of the red flags of a pill mill, as published in the Texas State Board of Pharmacies “YOU MIGHT BE A PILL MILL IF…” checklist. The evidence at trial showed that Marino intentionally disregarded all the red flags and prescribed almost every patient she saw the dangerous combination of an opioid, like oxycodone or hydrocodone, and the muscle relaxer carisoprodol. More than 99% of the time, Marino prescribed only the strongest short-acting versions of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol.
Among Marino’s patients was a woman in her third trimester of pregnancy. Marino prescribed this pregnant patient the dangerous drug cocktail of hydrocodone and carisoprodol. The patient’s OB/GYN testified at trial about how dangerous that drug cocktail was for both the woman and her unborn child, and that the patient missed an important follow-up visit with the OB/GYN. As the prosecutor said in her closing arguments, this patient “didn’t go to her doctor, she went to her drug dealer.”
Another of Dr. Marino’s patients was a man who had been diagnosed as bipolar and schizophrenic. The patient’s mother testified that he often claimed to be former President Richard Nixon. Nonetheless, Dr. Marino prescribed him the hydrocodone and soma cocktail at least three times.
The jury convicted Marino of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and four counts of distributing a controlled substance. Marino faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DEA investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Yael Mash of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the Texas Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit 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 eight 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.
Member of Prolific Russian Ransomware Group Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A Latvian national was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for his role in a major Russian ransomware organization that stole from and extorted over 54 companies.
“With this sentence, a cruel, ruthless, and dangerous international cybercriminal is now behind bars,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Deniss Zolotarjovs helped his ransomware gang profit from hacks of dozens of companies, and even on a government entity whose 911 system was forced offline. He also used stolen children’s health information to increase his leverage to extort victim payments. The Criminal Division will continue to investigate and prosecute international hackers and extortionists from around the world, no matter where they live or operate.”
“Ransomware groups disrupt victims’ lives, cruelly extracting money through psychological manipulation and fear. And they create lingering security issues,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “Cybercriminals might think they are invulnerable by hiding behind anonymizing tools and complex cryptocurrency patterns while they attack American victims from non-extradition countries. But Zolotarjovs’s prosecution shows that federal law enforcement also has a global reach, and we will hold accountable bad actors like Zolotarjovs, who will now spend significant time in prison.”
“Today’s sentencing reflects the FBI’s global reach and our commitment to dismantle the ransomware ecosystem and hold cyber criminals accountable,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Deniss Zolotarjovs acted as a negotiator for a major Russian ransomware group responsible for victim losses likely totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. His role in escalating pressure on victims and weaponizing sensitive data — especially stolen children’s health information — is a stark reminder of the devastating human impact of cybercrime. The FBI is grateful to the Government of Georgia and our partners at the Department of Justice for securing today’s outcome.”
“Cybercriminals like Deniss Zolotarjovs may try to hide in the shadows, but the FBI will find them,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office. “This case demonstrates the relentless pursuit by our FBI special agents, working with partners across the globe, to hold this criminal accountable for the millions of dollars he extorted from U.S. organizations.”
According to court documents, Deniss Zolotarjovs (Денисс Золотарёвс), 35, of Moscow, Russia, was a member of a ransomware organization led by former leaders of the Conti ransomware group. Brands used to identify the organization in ransom notes to their victims during the time of his involvement include Conti, Karakurt, Royal, TommyLeaks, SchoolBoys Ransomware, and Akira, among others.
During the time of Zolotarjovs’s active participation in the organization, approximately June 2021 to August 2023, the organization stole data from over 54 companies, including many in the United States.
Zolotarjovs was primarily responsible for escalating pressure on victims who initially resisted prompt payment of the organization’s ransom demands. Zolotarjovs analyzed stolen data, researched victim companies, and exploited his access to particularly sensitive and extremely personal information.
In one attack on a pediatric healthcare company, Zolotarjovs deliberately leveraged children’s health information for extortion. When he failed in extracting a ransom from this victim, he urged coconspirators to be “DESTROYERS” and to leak or sell copies of these pediatric health records to sow fear among future victims. When one of his co-conspirators suggested sending each pediatric patient their own data, Zolotarjovs instead sent a “general pack” of sensitive data to “hundreds of patients,” noting that taking the time to send each victim only their own data would be “routine work” that he had no time for.
Of the more than 54 companies attacked, attacks on just 13 of those companies resulted in over $56 million in losses, including approximately $2.8 million in ransom payments. This loss estimate only includes known victim companies and does not include an additional 41 victim companies that made $13 million in ransom payments during that same period but for whom the government does not yet have detailed loss statements. Due to widespread underreporting of ransomware attacks, true loss numbers are uncertain, but, extrapolating from the known victims and known losses, the government estimates total losses for the period of Zolotarjovs’s participation to likely be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
These loss estimates omit the cost, both psychological and financial, to tens of thousands of individual clients whose data was stolen from these victim companies. Attacks during this period resulted in the theft and exposure of Social Security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, home addresses, healthcare information and the shutdown of a government entity’s 911 system, placing lives at risk.
Members of the organization were Russian or based in Russia and operated for a time out of an office building on Lakhtinskaya Street in St. Petersburg, Russia. The organization relied on a hierarchical management structure and divided the work into separate teams, using a network of companies registered throughout Russia, Europe, and the United States to obfuscate its operations. In Russia, the organization fueled corruption and abused Russian public resources in pursuit of personal financial gain. Members of the organization included multiple former Russian law enforcement officers. These connections allowed members of the group to co-opt Russian government databases and law enforcement connections to intimidate and harass personal detractors, and to identify and evaluate potential new recruits to the organization. Corruption also ensured special treatment for members of the organization. Leaders avoided Russian taxes and regularly paid bribes to exempt members — draft-age men — from compulsory military service in Russia.
Zolotarjovs was arrested in the country of Georgia in December 2023 and transferred to U.S. custody in August 2024 after contesting extradition. In July 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit both money laundering and wire fraud.
The FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office investigated the case. Law enforcement leaders commended the FBI offices in Cleveland, San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Richmond, Virginia, for their vital roles in the investigation and officials in Georgia for their role in the extradition.
Trial Attorney Benjamin A. Bleiberg and Senior Counsel Bryce B. Rosenbower of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Timothy S. Mangan for the Southern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Georgia to secure Zolotarjovs’s arrest and extradition from Georgia. The United States thanks the Government of Georgia for its assistance extraditing Zolotarjovs to the United States.
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in California Fire Insurance CaseRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the case of Ferrier v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, which is currently pending in the state Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California. This case was brought by 60 homeowners who lost their homes in the devastating wildfires that occurred in southern California in January 2025. The homeowners allege that the defendants, 16 homeowner insurance companies, jointly conspired to cancel the homeowners’ fire insurance policies in the years leading up to the January 2025 fires. As a result, the homeowners claim that they were forced to obtain insurance from a state-run program that offers less protective coverage, resulting in much higher out-of-pocket expenses for rebuilding their homes.
“Nearly 16 months after the Eaton and Palisades Fires, the homeowners who lost everything are still trying to rebuild their lives,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Charlie Beller of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The last thing the fire victims need is the improper use of certain legal doctrines to deprive Angelenos of their day in court. The DOJ Antitrust Division is monitoring insurer conduct across the country to ensure that an improper understanding of federal law does not preclude state or federal antitrust claims.”
While this case was brought under California state antitrust law, the insurance carriers have argued that the homeowners’ claims should be dismissed on the basis of the Noerr-Pennington doctrine, an exemption from antitrust liability under both federal and California antitrust laws that protects petitioning and advocacy directed at government agencies. The Department’s Statement of Interest argues that the Noerr-Pennington doctrine should not apply to the insurers’ alleged group boycott of the homeowner policyholders, as the alleged boycott was separate and distinct — and caused separate and distinct harms — from any government petitioning activity by the insurers.
The Statement of Interest also notes that the McCarran-Ferguson Act, which limits certain federal antitrust claims regarding insurance conduct subject to state oversight, does not necessarily bar group boycott claims of the type alleged by homeowners in this case.
The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal and state courts where doing so helps protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws. A collection of these statements of antitrust and amicus filings is publicly available on the Division’s website.
Justice Department Files Complaint Against Minnesota over Its Attempt to Override Federal LawRead the Press Release
Note: View complaint here.
The Justice Department today filed a complaint against the State of Minnesota over its attempt to regulate global greenhouse gas emissions, which are subject to exclusive federal authority, and override the policy choices of the United States and other states to make energy affordable and reliable. The filing advances President Donald J. Trump’s executive order directing the Justice Department to protect American energy from state overreach. Specifically, the complaint seeks to stop the enforcement of Minnesota’s state court lawsuit that usurps exclusive federal authority and unreasonably burdens domestic energy development.
“President Trump promised to unleash American energy dominance, and Minnesota officials cannot undermine his directive by mandating that their woke climate preferences become the uniform policy of our Nation,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “Minnesota’s attempt to impose a national regulation on global greenhouse gas emissions not only is preempted by federal law, but also undermines affordable and reliable American energy, weakening the national and economic security of the United States.”
“The case we filed against Minnesota today is an attempt to rein in another unconstitutional state effort to invade an area of exclusive federal control,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “It is in America’s interest to have independent and secure sources of energy. Minnesota’s attempted overreach would undermine our economic and national security to advance the climate agenda of politicians and activists.”
According to the complaint filed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, the state of Minnesota is attempting to regulate global greenhouse gas emissions by suing energy companies in state court to enjoin global energy production and compel them to disgorge their profits. As Judge Stras of the Eighth Circuit has recognized, such efforts to “set national energy policy” and “change the companies’ behavior on a global scale” are “beyond the limits of state law.”
These efforts are also preempted by the Constitution and the Clean Air Act. Last year, ENRD filed complaints against Hawaii, Michigan, New York, and Vermont to stop those states’ unconstitutional climate actions.
Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel John Adams of ENRD filed the complaint.
US v. MN - Complaint.pdfThis Week in Fraud: DOJ’s New Fraud Division Announces Numerous Fraud Enforcement Actions and a New Strike Force to Investigate and Prosecute Fraud on the West CoastRead the Press Release
Yesterday, Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Fraud Division announced the formation of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force, a multi-district initiative to increase resources dedicated to prosecuting health care fraud in California, Arizona, and Nevada. “Our message today and every day is simple: If you steal from the American taxpayer, the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners will do everything possible to award you free housing in a federal prison,” said Assistant Attorney General McDonald at the press conference. The Strike Force will surge at least 10 additional federal prosecutors to the region who will work in partnership with the HHS Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other law enforcement partners.
In addition to this surge of resources to the West Coast, the Fraud Division is announcing the following fraud enforcement actions taken this week across the country to hold accountable those who defraud the American people.
Benefits Program Fraud
An illegal alien from Mexico was indicted in Albuquerque, New Mexico for allegedly using forged immigration documents and another individual’s Social Security number to fraudulently obtain bank accounts, vehicle financing, and consumer loans while residing illegally in the U.S. The charges include fraud and misuse of a visa, social security fraud, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Two Romanian illegal aliens pleaded guilty for their role in a conspiracy to steal SNAP benefits by using skimming devices to obtain EBT card data and PINs. The defendants used the stolen information to make fraudulent purchases of SNAP‑eligible items, which they later shipped out of state. The defendants agreed to pay full restitution and now face potential federal prison sentences.
A federal judge sentenced Shermeca McCrary, a Johnston County Social Services caseworker, to six months in prison and three years of supervised release for her role in a scheme to steal over $100,000 in SNAP benefits. McCrary abused her position to access and divert funds intended for qualified recipients and was ordered to pay $102,000 in forfeiture.
A defendant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa—Joshua Brandon Johnson—was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release for laundering over $20,000 from a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan by withdrawing fraudulently obtained funds to evade child support garnishment. The defendant was ordered to pay $20,208 in restitution to the Small Business Administration.
In Indiana, Joseph M. Merk was sentenced to four and a half years in federal prison for stealing nearly $600,000 through multiple fraud schemes, including PPP loan fraud, identity theft, and tax evasion. He was ordered to pay more than $492,000 in restitution.
Health Care Fraud
A Michigan pharmacy technician pleaded guilty to a $5.6 million health care fraud scheme, admitting he billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers for prescription drugs he never dispensed. He also illegally prescribed oxycodone to drug traffickers in exchange for cash, without regard to whether the prescriptions were actually prescribed by physicians or dispensed in good faith.
The U.S. government seized approximately $2 million from Expert Wound Care PC, a California-based clinic accused of submitting fraudulent Medicare claims for skin graft substitutes and services that were never provided. According to court documents, between September 2025 and April 2026, the clinic submitted over $46.6 million in claims—$34 million of which were approved—despite billing for procedures that didn’t occur. The seizure was authorized by a federal court in Los Angeles.
Scam Centers
DOJ announced the coordinated takedown of scam centers leading to at least 276 arrests. These centers targeted Americans who have suffered millions of dollars in losses from such schemes.
Tax Fraud
Harry Lamar Curtis III, a Houston business owner and former CPA, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for failing to pay more than $1.6 million in payroll taxes due to the IRS. The defendant admitted that he failed to file required business and personal tax returns for many years while withholding taxes that were never remitted to the IRS.
Corporate & Financial Fraud
The Fraud Division announced the sentences of two former CEOs of a non-profit medical organization headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, for defrauding the company of almost $2 million. The defendants were sentenced to 40 months’ and 24 months’ imprisonment for their crimes.
An Oregon payment processing broker, Jeremy Todd Briley, pleaded guilty to wire fraud for facilitating over $14 million in unauthorized debits and attempted debits from victims’ bank accounts by providing services to sham companies posing as legitimate merchants. Between 2017 and 2023, he maintained payment processor relationships for the sham companies so that they could process fraudulent debits. Despite repeatedly receiving information that the debits processed on behalf of the sham companies were not authorized by the victims, Briley concealed the fraudulent activities of the sham companies in various ways, and he arranged for a payment processor to deceive banks by manipulating return rates on the fraudulent debits.
* * * *
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.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Selling over $8 Million of Dangerous Recreational Drugs Known as “Poppers” That Were Mislabeled as Tape CleanerRead the Press Release
A Texas man pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of criminal conspiracy related to misbranding volatile alkyl nitrites, known by their street name as “poppers,” and selling them as inhalants in violation of federal law. Although the labeling for poppers products often misleadingly claims they are sold as cleaning agents, poppers are commonly misused for recreational purposes by being inhaled through the nose. Critically, misuse of volatile alkyl nitrates can cause serious adverse health effects, including irregular heartbeat, vision loss, and death.
“The defendant helped sell more than $8 million of dangerous drugs misbranded as cleaning agents, while concealing their true intended use as recreational inhalants,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Volatile alkyl nitrites, or poppers, can cause serious and sometimes fatal health effects. Yesterday’s plea reflects the Department’s commitment to keep Americans safe by prosecuting those who participate in the distribution of illegal substances in our communities, particularly when false and misleading labels are involved.”
“Yesterday's guilty plea demonstrates The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) unwavering commitment to holding accountable those who distribute falsely labeled products that endanger public health," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “Nitrite ‘poppers’ can cause serious adverse health effects, including death, when ingested or inhaled, and the FDA will continue to take appropriate actions to protect the public health.”
“Misrepresenting hazardous products to evade federal safety requirements is illegal,” said Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). “To protect the safety of the American public, CPSC will work with our federal law enforcement partners to identify violations, shut down criminal operations, and hold offenders accountable.”
According to court documents, Brett Sandy, 41, of Austin, Texas, worked for an Austin-based poppers manufacturer from January 2019 until in or around February 2025. Sandy oversaw the bookkeeping for the company and spoke with customers seeking to purchase poppers to misuse as a drug. Sandy admitted that the poppers shipped from his employer, with names such as “love potion” or “pumpkin spice latte,” were falsely labeled as “tape cleaner” to defraud the FDA and the CPSC about the intended purpose of the substances. Sandy also admitted that he facilitated the sale of hundreds of bottles of poppers from his company to an individual with the understanding that the individual intended to distribute them as a drug at a “sexy singles party.” In pleading guilty, Sandy agreed that the evidence shows that, while he worked for the company, it sold more than $8.4 million in unlawful poppers products.
Sandy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and one count of conspiracy to violate the Consumer Product Safety Act. He faces a statutory maximum term of five years in prison for each count. A sentencing date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FDA Office of Criminal Investigations is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Max J. Goldman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
Consumers who have experienced an adverse event (illness or injury) after using nitrite “poppers” should consult their healthcare providers. To report a complaint or adverse event (illness or serious allergic reaction), visit Industry and Consumer Assistance and Reporting Unlawful Sales of Medical Products on the Internet.
The Health and Safety Unit within the Department’s Criminal Division works with law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute violations of federal laws designed to protect public health and safety. The unit focuses on corporations and individuals who make and sell dangerous drugs, food, and other consumer products that could cause significant harm to Americans. For more information, see https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-safety-unit.
U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred Announces Indictment in Operation “Porterhouse Parlay” Alleging an Illegal Gambling Conspiracy, Extortion, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – On April 16, 2026, a federal grand jury in Hammond, Indiana, returned a 28-count indictment charging James L. Gerodemos a/k/a “Jimmy the Greek,” Dean Gialamos a/k/a “Dean Gem,” Chris L. Gerodemos, and nineteen others with running an illegal gambling conspiracy that used extortionate means to collect gambling debts and laundered the money, among other crimes. According to the indictment, the organization operated in northwest Indiana and elsewhere from on or about January 2021 to on or about April of 2026. The indictment was unsealed on April 29, 2026, following the execution of arrest and search warrants accompanying the indictment.
“Through this indictment, the grand jury has alleged that the defendants built an illegal gambling organization that operated both online and in person at two northern Indiana businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Mildred. “According to the indictment, members of the organization used threats and intimidation to collect on gambling debts. My office bears the burden of proving that the defendants are guilty of these charges, which I am confident we will do. In the meantime, I want to make two points. First, every defendant named in this indictment is entitled to a fair trial by a jury of their peers and is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. And second, like all investigations, this one is continuing. My office will investigate any additional crimes revealed by the evidence and any additional subjects who might have participated in the alleged criminal activity. If you believe that you are a victim of the alleged organization, or if you have any information relevant to it, you are encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
“Illegal gambling operations often fuel broader criminal activity and exploit our communities for profit,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI, in partnership with our law enforcement colleagues, is committed to dismantling these criminal networks and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.”
“Today marks the culmination of a lengthy, complex and collaborative investigation,” said Indiana Gaming Commission Law Enforcement Superintendent Brock Pilgrim. “The indictments, arrest and search warrants all send a clear message: those who attempt to corrupt the integrity of licensed gaming operations in Indiana will be held accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Indiana Gaming Commission, with assistance from the Indiana State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistance U.S. Attorneys Philip Benson and Kevin Wolff.
The Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging New Jersey Laws Providing In-State Tuition and Financial Assistance for Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Today, the United States announced that it is challenging New Jersey laws providing in-state tuition and financial assistance for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rates, scholarships, or subsidies, create incentives for illegal immigration, and reward illegal immigrants with benefits that U.S. citizens are not eligible for, all in direct conflict with federal law.
“Imagine being denied the opportunity of education in your own country,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “By granting illegal aliens in-state tuition, the state of New Jersey is doing just that.”
“This is a simple matter of federal law: in New Jersey and nationwide, 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.”
The Department of Justice’s complaint is filed in the District of New Jersey, against the State of New Jersey, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, the Acting Secretary of Higher Education Margo Chaly, the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund, and the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education seeking to enjoin the State from enforcing the unconstitutional New Jersey laws and bring them into compliance with federal requirements.
In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of New Jersey laws that requires colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain New Jersey residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Additionally, the complaint seeks to enjoin New Jersey from enforcing state laws which afford financial assistance and scholarships to illegal aliens.
This is the 9th lawsuit in a series of actions the department has filed to fulfill President Trump’s commitment to ensure that illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. These efforts have already delivered wins for the American people, as three similar lawsuits in Texas, Kentucky, and Oklahoma have resulted favorable orders permanently enjoining and declaring unconstitutional analogous laws that gave reduced tuition to illegal aliens. Lawsuits against other states that similarly put illegal aliens ahead of U.S. citizens are pending across the country in Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia, Nebraska, and California.
Task Force Publishes Report on Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias and Restoring Religious LibertyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today, the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias published a report detailing how the Biden Administration’s prosecutions, policies, and practices demonstrated anti-Christian bias throughout the federal government, in accordance with Executive Order 14202. The Acting Attorney General serves as Chair of the Task Force, and the Justice Department coordinated this significant interagency effort.
“No American should live in fear that the federal government will punish them for their faith,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Chair of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. “As our report lays out, the Biden Administration’s actions devastated the lives of many Christian Americans. That devastation ended with President Trump. The Department of Justice will continue to expose bad actors who targeted Christians and work tirelessly to restore religious liberty for all Americans of faith.”
The 200-page report collects the detailed findings of the seventeen federal agencies on the Task Force, as well as other agencies who also uncovered religious discrimination. The report examines how the Biden Administration pushed its radical policy agenda, even when its actions infringed on Christian beliefs, free exercise, and on matters of deep personal importance to nearly every American: life, family, marriage, self-identity, education, medical decisions, and more. To support these findings, the Report contains over 1100 footnotes and over 300 pages of exhibits.
In creating its portions of the report, the Justice Department conducted a thorough review of internal discussions, case files, and prosecutorial decisions, some of which are detailed in the recent report published by the Weaponization Working Group about the FACE Act. The Justice Department met with and received information from over 100 stakeholders and victims in its review of the impacts of the Biden Administration’s anti-Christian bias.
The report touches on a broad array of federal policies and programs, including conscience rights, the Johnson Amendment, fines against Christian universities, girls’ sports, vaccine mandates, and the exclusion of Christians from public programs, among many others. The Task Force also highlights related findings at the state and local level and in the private sector. Among the many findings, the Justice Department discovered:
- President Biden pushed policies to eliminate statutory protections for religious Americans that interfered with his policy goals. Although he failed to change federal law, under his direction, federal agencies used policy and regulatory means to accomplish the same goals.
- The Biden Justice Department aggressively opposed concerned parents through the Garland School Board Memo and diligently attempted to use its enforcement authority against parents who defended their children’s safety at local school board meetings.
- The Biden Justice Department immediately mandated the adoption of gender ideology throughout the federal government far beyond the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County.
- The day after Biden was sworn into office, career employees at the Justice Department urged for the reversal of a Trump Justice Department memo on Bostock that directed the department to “respect its employees’ right to express traditional views" regarding marriage and gender identity.
- Career employees called the memo “an affront to the dignity of our transgender employees,” and called for the memo to be rescinded under Biden's Executive Order on gender ideology.
- The Biden Justice Department also considered requests for religious exemptions related to gender ideology as harmful conduct to be regulated and consistently pushed its incorrect Bostock interpretation in amicus briefs, even though federal courts repeatedly rejected it.
- The Biden Justice Department advised White House and senior leadership in a phone call that federal employees’ religious objections to the Covid vaccines were “insincere” or “not religious.”
- The Civil Rights Division under President Biden sidelined Christians in favor of preferred constituencies. It published materials suggesting that Christians could not be victims of religious discrimination, only other faith groups.
While this report details the egregious actions of the Biden Administration against Christians, it also demonstrates how the Trump Administration is restoring the rights of Christians—and all Americans—to practice their faith without fear of retribution.
- The Trump Justice Department is protecting parental rights by rescinding the Garland Memo and taking legal actions to protect students, including a lawsuit to stop the Loudoun County School District from unlawfully forcing gender ideology on students who have sincerely held religious beliefs on marriage and human sexuality.
- The Trump Justice Department has restored law and order by rescinding the Biden Bostock memo. As a result, all people of faith may once again freely exercise their faith.
- The Trump Justice Department is protecting religious liberty in the federal workplace by issuing an Office of Legal Counsel opinion affirming religious liberty protections for federal employees, which include accommodation requests.
- The Trump Justice Department is ending the weaponization of the FACE Act by protecting houses of worship from violence and threats under the FACE Act.
- The Trump Justice Department is protecting religious congregations from discrimination under RLUIPA.
- The Civil Rights Division has filed statements of interest supporting faith communities in RLUIPA cases across the country.
The Department of Justice is committed to religious liberty for all and will continue to support President Trump’s mandate to eradicate anti-Christian bias throughout the federal government.
Justice Department Launches Investigations Concerning Gender Ideology in Pre-K-12 Schools in 36 Illinois School DistrictsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched investigations into 36 Illinois public school districts to determine whether they have included sexual orientation and gender ideology (SOGI) content in any class for grades pre-K-12.
If they are teaching SOGI-related content, the investigations will examine whether the schools have notified parents of their right to opt their children out of such instruction. The investigation will also assess whether the Illinois School Districts limit access to single-sex intimate spaces (such as bathrooms and locker rooms) and girls’ sports teams based on biological sex.
“This Department of Justice is determined to put an end to local school authorities keeping parents in the dark about how sexuality and gender ideology are being pushed in classrooms,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Supreme Court precedent leaves no doubt: parents have the fundamental right and primary authority to direct the care, upbringing, and education of their children. This includes exempting their children from ideological instruction that contradicts their values or decisions about their children’s health and best interests.”
The investigations will examine whether these Illinois School Districts, which are recipients of hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer funding, are adhering to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Supreme Court’s extensive precedents on parental rights as recently reiterated in Mirabelli v. Bonta and Mahmoud v. Taylor.
The Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigations.
The Illinois School Districts under investigation include:
- Atwood Heights School District 125
- Bloomington Public Schools District 87
- Bluford Unit School District 318
- Buncombe Consolidated School District 43
- Center Cass School District 66
- Central School District 104
- Community High School District 155
- Country Club Hills School District 160
- Crete-Monee School District 201-U
- DeKalb Community Unit School District 428
- East Dubuque Unit School District 119
- Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
- Freeport School District 145
- Galena Unit School District 120
- Gillespie Community Unit School District 7
- Iroquois County Community Unit School District 9
- Leyden Community High School District 212
- Lick Creek Community Consolidated School District 16
- Lyons School District 103
- Martinsville Community Unit School District C3
- Meridian Community Unit School District 223
- Noble Network of Charter Schools
- North Chicago Community Unit School District 187
- North Palos School District 117
- Norwood Elementary School District 63
- O’Fallon Community Consolidated School District No. 90
- Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123
- Odin Public School District 722
- Oregon Community Unit School District 220
- Pembroke Community Consolidated School District 259
- Reavis Township High School District 220
- Ridgeview Community Unit School District 19
- Stockton Community Unit School District 206
- Tamaroa School District 5
- Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215
- Will County School District 92
Civil Division Announces FOCUS Initiative for Data Miners Filing Qui Tam ComplaintsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department is announcing an anti-fraud initiative that will materially strengthen its working relationship with whistleblowers. The Civil Division has experienced a rapid increase in the number of qui tam complaints filed in recent years. Much of this surge has been driven by companies or individuals who analyze publicly available government data for potential signals of fraud (data miners), rather than the insiders who have traditionally served as relators under the federal False Claims Act (FCA).
The Civil Division welcomes the contributions of data miners but will prioritize working with data miners that demonstrate an insightful application of sophisticated technological capabilities to regulatory frameworks to help identify potential fraud that would otherwise go undetected. To support the Civil Division’s capacity to identify and partner with the best data miners, the Civil Division is launching the Fraud Oversight through Careful Use of Statistics (FOCUS) initiative.
“Sophisticated data analytics have become an increasingly important means of identifying fraud trends and uncovering patterns of misconduct across federal programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The FOCUS initiative reflects our commitment to ensuring that the Civil Division is engaging with the strongest and most effective partners in the war against fraud.”
“We are interested in hearing from data miners who believe they have developed particularly effective tools for detecting fraud against the government,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brenna E. Jenny of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Participants should be prepared to explain what differentiates their approach, how they validate their findings, and why their methodology provides a reliable basis for identifying high-quality, actionable False Claims Act matters.”
Through the FOCUS initiative, data miners will have an opportunity to meet with the Civil Fraud Section to discuss their capabilities and outline why and how their data signals reliably correlate to fraud. Such meetings are not a pre-filing requirement, but the Department will prioritize working with data miners that have demonstrated an investment in pre-filing diligence and commitment to analytical rigor, familiarity with program rules, and legally sufficient allegations.
Data miner relators interested in meeting with the Department may submit the FOCUS Initiative White Paper Questionnaire, available here, by email to [email protected].
Kroger Agrees to Settlement Reducing Ozone-Harming Emissions from Grocery Stores NationwideRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a proposed settlement with The Kroger Company resolving alleged Clean Air Act violations at grocery stores nationwide.
Under the proposed consent decree, Kroger will spend an estimated $100 million over the next three years to reduce coolant leaks from refrigerators and other equipment and improve company-wide compliance with rules protecting the Earth’s ozone layer. The company will also pay a $2.5 million civil penalty.
“Compliance with the Clean Air Act protects human health,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Fixing leaks of ozone-depleting refrigerants makes a real difference in protecting all Americans from the harmful effects of solar radiation.”
The settlement resolves Kroger’s failure to promptly repair refrigerant equipment leaks of the refrigerant R-22, a powerful ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), between 2014 and 2023. Kroger also failed to keep adequate refrigeration service records.
Damage to the ozone layer results in dangerous increases in the amount of ultraviolet solar radiation that strikes the earth. This radiation has been linked to many harmful effects, including skin cancers and cataracts.
If entered by the court, the settlement requires Kroger to retrofit or replace 600 large commercial refrigeration systems at its stores to reduce ozone-depleting emissions. Kroger must also implement a refrigerant management system to help prevent and repair coolant leaks and keep its corporate-wide average leak rate to no more than 9.5 percent per year.
The consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and is subject to a 30-day public comment period. The complaint and proposed consent decree are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
The Environmental Protection Agency investigated this matter.
Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling this matter.
Justice Department Sues New Jersey over Attempt to Regulate Federal Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against New Jersey, Governor Mikie Sherrill, and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport challenging their unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers through the so-called “Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act.”
“The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect the privacy and safety of law enforcement from unconstitutional state laws like New Jersey’s,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
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.
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, New Jersey, and California.
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Florida Return PreparersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida seeking to enjoin Florida-based return preparers Cedric Reid, Juan Santana, and Reid’s business, Advance Tax Group Inc. (Defendants) from preparing federal income tax returns for others. Defendants’ offices are located in Daytona Beach and Ocala, Florida, the complaint says.
The complaint alleges that Defendants prepare federal income tax returns for customers on which they claim fraudulent deductions and credits, purposely underreporting the tax their customers owe and claiming refunds their customers are not entitled to receive. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Defendants prepared returns that falsified filing status; reported false or inflated business expenses and losses; and claimed false fuel tax credits, education credits, and other credits. According to the complaint, Defendants used the false information they reported to maximize their customers’ earned income tax credit (EITC) and failed to follow the IRS’s EITC due diligence requirements.
The government alleges in the complaint that Defendants caused an estimated tax loss of more than $7 million in 2023 and 2024 alone.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Wu of the Civil Division’s Tax Litigation Branch made the announcement. Tax Litigation Branch attorneys Meredith Hollman and Amanda Cornwell are handling the case.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Department of Justice has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Civil Division, Tax Litigation Branch with details.
Justice Department Secures Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Springfield, Missouri LandlordRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the owners of residential rental properties in and around Springfield, Missouri have agreed to pay $250,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the properties’ former owner and manager sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
“A home should be a place of safety, not fear and exploitation,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously holding landlords accountable when they use their power to violate the rights of vulnerable tenants.”
“No tenant should ever be forced to choose between their safety and keeping a roof over their head,” said U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price for the Western District of Missouri. “Exploiting power for sexual coercion and retaliation is not only immoral, but it’s also illegal. The result of this case makes it clear that the Western District of Missouri will work tirelessly to hold accountable any landlord who violates a tenant’s rights.”
“The Fair Housing Act protects against sex discrimination precisely to prohibit this kind of vile and predatory behavior against vulnerable women,” said Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “When landlords sexually harass their female tenants, they are not only violating the law but undermining the sense of safety, privacy, and security that the home provides. The Trump Administration will always stand with victims and hold perpetrators accountable.”
“Today’s settlement makes clear that landlords who abuse their position of power by exploiting tenants’ basic needs for housing will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will not tolerate the use of housing as a tool for coercion, harassment, or abuse, and we will continue to work with our partners to hold offenders fully responsible.”
The Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in March 2024, alleges that for over a decade, Jimmie Bell sexually harassed and retaliated against female tenants of rental homes he owned and/or managed in and around Springfield. The suit alleges that Bell’s conduct included making unwelcome sexual comments and sexual advances to female tenants, exposing and touching his genitals in front of female tenants, touching and grabbing female tenants in a sexual manner without their consent, requesting sex or sex acts from female tenants in exchange for tangible housing benefits like excusing late or unpaid rent or the opportunity to rent another home, and taking adverse housing actions such as initiating evictions or refusing to make needed repairs against female tenants who refused his sexual advances.
Under the settlement agreement, Defendants must pay $250,000 to former tenants who were harmed by Jimmie Bell’s harassment. Defendants must also make good faith efforts to have all retaliatory evictions against these tenants removed from public court records and credit reports; and Defendants must cease any ongoing efforts to obtain payments from former tenants who faced retaliatory evictions. Finally, the settlement agreement mandates training to prevent future discrimination, including sexual harassment, at Defendants’ residential rental properties. The Department’s lawsuit named Jimmie Bell as a Defendant, as well as Defendants Fourth Bell LLC and the trustee of Second Bell Trust, owners of rental properties that were managed by Jimmie Bell. Jimmie Bell died in February 2025 and his son, Mark Bell, was substituted as his successor Defendant.
The case was referred to the Division after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development received a complaint, completed an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General also participated in the investigation and assisted in the litigation.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered approximately $19 million for victims of such harassment.
Federal Jury Convicts ISIS-K Terrorist for Role in the Abbey Gate Bombing and Other ISIS-K AttacksRead the Press Release
A federal jury today convicted Afghan national Mohammad Sharifullah, a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), of participating in a nine-year conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Aug. 26, 2021, American and other Coalition military forces were conducting a non-combatant evacuation operation at the Abbey Gate of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Thousands of civilians were at Abbey Gate for evacuation.
On Aug. 26, 2021, ISIS-K leadership tasked Sharifullah with surveilling a road to the Hamid Karzai International Airport to ensure it was clear of Taliban checkpoints. At about 2:00 pm, Sharifullah travelled his assigned route and communicated to ISIS-K leadership that the route was clear. At approximately 5:36 p.m., ISIS-K operative Abdul Rahman al-Logari, whom Sharifullah knew previously from their time together in an Afghan prison, detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians.
Additionally, on June 20, 2016, a suicide bomber acting for ISIS-K detonated a bomb targeting Nepali security guards protecting the Canadian embassy in Kabul. Prior to the attack, Sharifullah conducted surveillance to prepare the suicide bomber and later transported the suicide bomber toward the attack site.
Additionally, on March 22, 2024, a group of ISIS-K gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall near Moscow. On behalf of ISIS-K, Sharifullah shared instructions on how to use AK-style rifles and other weapons with attackers. The ISIS-K attackers used AK-style rifles to kill civilians in the attack.
In all, Sharifullah participated in over a dozen additional ISIS-K attacks from 2016 through his eventual apprehension in 2025. Throughout these attacks, Sharifullah was involved in various aspects of ISIS-K operations, including providing surveillance for attacks, transporting suicide bombers, transporting and cleaning armaments, communicating messages among ISIS-K personnel, and video recording explosions for ISIS-K propaganda purposes.
Sharifullah faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Gibbs, Avi Panth, and Reed Sawyers for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Ryan D. White for the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-00143.
DOJ and ATF Announce Regulatory Reforms to Reduce Burdens on Law-Abiding Gun Owners and BusinessesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is releasing this week 34 notices of final and proposed rulemaking following a comprehensive review of existing regulations conducted in accordance with Executive Order 14206, Protecting Second Amendment Rights. Consistent with ATF's commitment in 2025 to rebuild trust with Federal Firearms and Explosives Licensees (FFLs/FELs) and industry stakeholders, this review included a consideration of industry and expert feedback and concerns. This landmark release is the first in a series of regulatory updates ATF plans to issue.
The resulting rules are an effort to reduce unnecessary burdens on law-abiding citizens and businesses while modernizing regulatory frameworks that no longer reflect current law, agency practice, or court precedent. The aim is simpler, clearer regulations that do not compromise ATF's ability to perform its critical missions to protect American communities from violent crime.
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Department of Justice is ending the weaponization of federal authority against law-abiding gun owners. We will continue to vigorously defend their rights as the Constitution demands.”
Robert Cekada, who was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ATF Director, also emphasized the need to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens and businesses. “ATF's mission is to protect public safety and enforce the law – and these reforms reflect our commitment to doing that through regulations that are clear, legally sound, and narrowly tailored to that purpose.” He added, “Our enforcement focus from here on out is on willful violators and criminal actors, not inadvertent compliance issues by responsible owners and licensees.”
Summaries of the rules will be uploaded at atf.gov. ATF encourages broad public participation in its regulatory process and invites input on the proposed changes. The agency is committed to reviewing input in a timely manner and ensuring consideration of significant feedback into the final rules.
Clear instructions for submitting comments may be found via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at Regulations.gov and in each NPRM. The comment periods will generally be open for 90 days from the date of publication, but may vary. Please pay attention to the “DATES” section in each proposal for details.
Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corporation to Perform at Least $12 Million in Corrective Measures to Address Contamination at Middletown Works in OhioRead the Press Release
Note: the press release has been updated to include a quote from EPA.
Today, the Department of Justice announced a proposed settlement with Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corporation (Cliffs) requiring it to address releases of hazardous waste at its Middletown Works facility.
Under the proposed consent decree, Cliffs will perform long-term corrective measures to comply with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The required corrective measures will address several site areas at the Middletown Works, a 2,600-acre integrated steel mill that has operated in Middletown, Ohio, since 1901.
“This settlement shows the Administration’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of the public, including workers at the Middletown Works,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The Department of Justice is committed to addressing hazardous waste while ensuring that responsible parties are held accountable and the public is not left with the bill.”
“This consent decree ends decades of litigation uncertainty and shows that this Administration will pursue efficient cleanups using all available tools,” said EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Jeffrey A. Hall. “This novel consent decree based on EPA’s expertise ensures full remediation of longstanding hazardous waste alongside continued operation of the steelworks and that the responsible party bears the cost of cleanup. EPA’s oversight of Cleveland Cliff’s implementation of the cleanup framework will ensure this work is properly completed in a timely manner.”
This consent decree will provide final closure to a civil lawsuit against Cliffs’ predecessor, AK Steel Corporation, by the Department of Justice and later joined by the state of Ohio and environmental groups. Under a partial settlement, AK Steel conducted cleanups of two tributaries to the Great Miami River and agreed to perform comprehensive investigations of other contaminant releases and evaluate potential corrective measures. Under the consent decree lodged today, Cliffs now agrees to implement the corrective measures when approved and selected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The first two areas to be addressed under the new consent decree are closed landfills that historically received wastes from Middletown Works including industrial wastewater treatment sludges, steel production process sludges, and slag. The corrective measures at these areas are expected to cost $12 million. Additionally, the consent decree will require Cliffs to implement corrective measures at other site areas, such as the Middletown Works’ production and slag processing areas. These steps are needed to achieve long-term protection of human health and the environment.
The consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and is subject to a 30-day public comment period. The complaint and proposed consent decree are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
EPA has overseen the interim measures and RCRA Facility Investigations and Corrective Measures Studies that Cleveland-Cliffs has conducted at and around the facility. The proposed consent decree requires that Cleveland-Cliffs implement corrective measures at the facility and provide financial assurance for that work.
ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section is handling the case.
Civil Rights Division Sues Cloudera for Excluding U.S. Workers from Applying to High-Paying Technology JobsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Cloudera Inc. (Cloudera), a Santa Clara, California-based technology company for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by intentionally discriminating against U.S. workers in favor of hiring workers with temporary visas. The complaint was filed with the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, which has jurisdiction over cases arising under the INA.
“Employers cannot use the PERM sponsorship process as a backdoor for discriminating against U.S. workers,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Division will not hesitate to sue companies who intentionally deter U.S. workers from applying to American jobs.”
The complaint alleges Cloudera intentionally created a separate recruitment and hiring process to deter U.S. workers from applying, and also did not consider them, for lucrative technology jobs that the company earmarked for people with temporary employment visas. Cloudera created an email account that did not allow external emails, but still instructed applicants to use that unworkable email address to apply for jobs. The Division received a charge of employment discrimination from one U.S. worker who tried to apply using the email account Cloudera set up, but received a bounce back notification. When sponsoring current employees under the permanent labor certification program (PERM), Cloudera purposely failed to recruit U.S. workers in good faith.
The PERM program allows employers to sponsor workers for permanent resident status, only after completing recruitment of U.S. workers. But, as with any recruitment or hiring, employers cannot illegally discriminate against U.S. worker applicants based on their citizenship status during the PERM process.
This lawsuit is part of the Department’s Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, which was relaunched in 2025. The Initiative, under which the Division has already obtained ten settlements in the last year, focuses on companies that illegally discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of those with temporary employment visas.
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 or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (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.
Suspect in White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Charged with Attempt to Assassinate the PresidentRead the Press Release
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was arraigned today in U.S. District Court on charges stemming from the April 25, 2026, shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, announced the Department of Justice.
Allen is charged by complaint with one count of attempt to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm & ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
"Cole Allen now faces the full weight of federal justice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This alleged assassin was stopped because of the courage and professionalism of law enforcement officers who responded without hesitation by doing their jobs. Because of them, the President of the United States, administration officials and all attendees at the dinner were safe. Make no mistake: deranged attacks on our elected officials will never go unpunished."
“The evidence is abundantly clear: Cole Tomas Allen traveled to Washington D.C. for the purpose of assassinating President Trump and targeting members of the Trump administration, “said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Thanks to the heroic actions of our brave law enforcement partners who acted quickly and professionally, Allen did not succeed - and now, he will be held fully accountable. This FBI and our interagency partners have worked around the clock over the past two days investigating this case, and today’s charges are the first step in justice being served and providing answers to the American people.”
“Cole Allen traveled across the country with deadly weapons and a plan to assassinate the President of the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “The swift and courageous response of the Secret Service officers prevented unimaginable tragedy. There is no room in this city for political violence.”
"This foiled plot was a brazen attempt to assassinate the president and numerous high-ranking U.S. government officials," said Darren Cox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "Violence is never an acceptable means of expressing political dissent. I would like to thank our partners for their assistance in the aftermath of this attack as we work tirelessly to ensure Allen is brought to justice."
According to court documents, on April 6, 2026, Allen made a reservation at the Washington Hilton hotel for three nights, from April 24 to April 26, 2026. Allen traveled by train from his home near Los Angeles to Chicago before boarding a train from Chicago to Washington, D.C. Allen arrived in the District at approximately 1 p.m. on April 24, 2026, and checked into the Washington Hilton later that day.
At approximately 8:40 p.m., Allen approached a security checkpoint on the Terrace Level of the hotel leading to the hotel’s ballroom. Allen ran through the magnetometer holding a long gun. U.S. Secret Service personnel assigned to the checkpoint heard a loud gunshot. A U.S. Secret Service officer, who was wearing a ballistic vest, was shot once in the chest.
The Secret Service officer drew his service weapon and fired multiple times at Allen, who fell to the ground and suffered minor injuries but was not shot. Officers subsequently arrested Allen, who was in possession of a 12-gauge pump action shotgun and a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38 caliber pistol.
Following his arrest, Allen was advised of his Miranda rights and invoked his right to remain silent. Allen was transported to Howard University Hospital for minor injuries and has since been released to law enforcement custody.
Shortly before 8:40 p.m. on April 25, 2026, Allen sent an email to members of his family and a former employer explaining the actions he was about to take. The email, a copy of which law enforcement has obtained from a recipient, stated: “I wish I could have said anything earlier, but doing so would have made none of this possible. My sincerest apologies for all the trouble I've caused. (scheduled send)-Cole.” Allen signed his email “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen.”
As part of this investigation, law enforcement reviewed records of firearm transactions from California and federal database sources. These records showed that on Aug.17, 2025, Allen purchased a 12-gauge pump action shotgun from a California firearms dealer. On Oct. 6, 2023, Allen purchased a .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol from another firearms dealer. Based on the serial numbers in the database records, these two firearms are the same two firearms that Allen at the Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the U.S. Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Ballentine, Charles Jones, Adam Barry.
Read the affidavit here.
Saipan Woman Sentenced to 71 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud Scheme Targeting Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
SAIPAN, CNMI – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that SZE MAN YU INOS, aka “Yuki”, age 30, was sentenced on April 23, 2026, to 71 months in federal prison by Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Yuki was convicted of Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. The Court also imposed three years of supervised release, 100 hours of community service, restitution in the amount of $769,355.67, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. The Court further entered a criminal forfeiture personal money judgment in the amount of $684,848.34.
From November 2020 through January 2022, Yuki approached older women in Saipan and Guam to befriend them in furtherance of her fraudulent scheme. She falsely claimed she came from a wealthy family in China, owned multiple businesses, and was successful investing in Bitcoin. Yuki treated the women to expensive meals and gifts and bragged to them about how much money she made investing in Bitcoin. She confided in them about fictitious personal problems and claimed their friendship was important to her – often telling them, “You are like my mom.” After gaining the victims’ confidence, Yuki requested money from these women. She also solicited investments in Bitcoin based on false pretenses. She continued to engage in this scheme after she left the Marianas, and defrauded additional victims in Washington and California.
“Criminals engaged in affinity fraud prey on our willingness to trust others,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “This defendant chose to target older women across multiple jurisdictions, resulting in substantial financial losses. She continued her scams while this case was pending. The punishment imposed by the Court is well-deserved.”
“The defendant built a career out of deception, leaving a trail of financial ruin stretching across several states and impacting dozens of innocent victims," said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. "By forging a federal judge’s signature to facilitate her schemes, the defendant acted with complete contempt for both the victims she exploited and the rule of law. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to protect our citizens from criminals who profit through such heartless and brazen manipulation.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Garth R. Backe for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The Justice Department Takes Actions to Strengthen the Federal Death PenaltyRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice acted to restore its solemn duty to seek, obtain, and implement lawful capital sentences—clearing the way for the Department to carry out executions once death-sentenced inmates have exhausted their appeals. Among the actions taken are readopting the lethal injection protocol utilized during the first Trump Administration, expanding the protocol to include additional manners of execution such as the firing squad, and streamlining internal processes to expedite death penalty cases. These steps are critical to deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones.
“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.”
On his first day in office, President Trump directed the Department of Justice to prioritize seeking death sentences in appropriate cases, promptly carrying out those sentences, and strengthening the death penalty. Since then, the Department has taken sustained action to implement that directive and reverse the Biden Justice Department’s efforts to erode the death penalty.
The Biden Justice Department, under Attorney General Merrick Garland, broke sharply from its longstanding approach to capital crimes and took extraordinary steps to weaken, delay, and dismantle the death penalty. In doing so, it caused untold harm to the public. Specifically, the Biden Justice Department:
- Imposed an indefinite moratorium on executions based on a deeply flawed analysis asserting that the existing federal practice of execution by lethal injection with pentobarbital could not be carried out without risking “unnecessary pain and suffering.”
- Declined to seek the death penalty in many horrific cases, even where career prosecutors and Biden’s own U.S. Attorneys recommended it, including cases involving child rapists and murderers; racially motivated mass shooters; and gangsters and drug dealers who murdered law enforcement officers, government witnesses, and informants.
- Abandoned capital prosecutions that prior Attorneys General had lawfully authorized and that federal prosecutors were actively litigating—against the wishes of victims’ families and career prosecutors.
- Urged President Biden to effectively empty federal death row by commuting the death sentences of 37 of 40 death-row inmates based on Attorney General Garland’s personal opposition to the death penalty without consulting all the victims’ families.
Under the leadership of President Trump and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Justice Department is committed to correcting these failures and restoring the lawful administration of the death penalty. The Department has rescinded the Biden-Garland moratorium on federal executions and has authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants. Acting Attorney General Blanche has already authorized seeking death sentences against nine of these defendants, including three MS-13 members, two of whom are illegal aliens, accused of murdering a federal witness.
Today, the Justice Department took the following steps to better achieve public safety and deliver justice to victims of the very worst crimes:
- Released the Restoring and Strengthening the Federal Death Penalty Report, which examines the actions of the Biden-Garland Justice Department and, after a thorough analysis, finds that the use of pentobarbital to carry out death sentences is consistent with the Eighth Amendment.
- Directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to reinstate the execution protocol adopted during the first Trump Administration, which relies on pentobarbital as the lethal agent.
- Directed BOP to expand the execution protocol to include additional manners of execution such as the firing squad.
- Directed BOP to examine relocating or expanding federal death row or constructing an additional execution facility to permit additional manners of execution.
- Directed the Office of Legislative Affairs to finalize and deliver a comprehensive legislative proposal to Congress that will improve public safety and better achieve justice for victims.
In the coming weeks, the Department plans to take the following additional steps:
- Consider a rule that will empower states to streamline federal habeas review of capital cases. If adopted, the rule will reduce by years the period between conviction and execution in state capital cases.
- Publish a proposed rule prohibiting capital inmates from submitting clemency petitions, and the Office of the Pardon Attorney from considering such petitions, until court decisions in the inmate’s direct appeal and first collateral attack are final.
- Revise the Justice Manual to return the Department to its historic approach to capital crimes, streamline the process for seeking death sentences, and ensure appropriate consultation with victims’ families.
Read the report here.
Queens Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A New York man, Taesung “Terry” Kim, 61, of Harrison, New York, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for conspiring to launder the proceeds of a $24.4 million pharmacy fraud scheme.
“Mr. Kim’s scheme to pad his pockets with $24 million in taxpayer dollars by peddling unnecessary prescription drugs is despicable and dangerous,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This administration is making clear: we will hold accountable anyone who jeopardizes the health of millions of American adults by stealing from Medicare.”
“Today, Taesung Kim was held accountable for the despicable crime of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid, vital federal health care programs that provide insurance coverage to the elderly and those who cannot afford health insurance,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr for the Eastern District of New York. “Fraudsters who think the government is an ATM they can blatantly plunder should take notice of the price this defendant will now pay for his greed.”
“Taesung (Terry) Kim attempted to hide years of health care fraud through illicit kickbacks and bribes. Through the hard work of the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Service - Office of the Inspector General, we were able to peel back the layers of deception to uncover this criminal scheme,” said Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI New York Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable individuals defrauding the American people.”
“The defendant deliberately exploited patients and the Medicare program by orchestrating kickback schemes and laundering millions in fraudulent prescription proceeds to fuel his own greed,” 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). “Today’s sentence reinforces HHS-OIG’s continued commitment, alongside our law enforcement partners, to dismantling schemes that abuse federal health care programs and ensuring those who perpetrate them are brought to justice.”
According to court documents, the defendant co-owned several retail pharmacies in Brooklyn and Queens, New York. Between 2015 and 2022, Kim’s pharmacies submitted approximately $24.4 million in claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary prescription drugs. Kim, working with others, acquired prescriptions by paying bribes and cash kickbacks to medical providers and purported patients. He and his conspirators gave bribes to medical providers in the form of office rent and staff to induce them to direct prescriptions to the pharmacies, and he paid customers in the form of supermarket gift certificates and cash to induce them to fill prescriptions at their pharmacies. Kim laundered the proceeds of the scheme through various trading companies, which gave the appearance of legitimate business, facilitated the kickbacks and bribes, and distributed profits among the pharmacies’ owners.
In December 2024, Kim pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to his prison sentence, the Court ordered Kim pay $24.4 million in restitution and to forfeit $6 million in fraud proceeds, including several bank accounts and real properties. On Oct. 16, 2025, Kim’s partner and co-conspirator, Feng “Jeff” Jiang, 43, of Flushing, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanisha R. Payne for the Eastern District of New York assisted with forfeiture matters.
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 Seeks to Denaturalize Sexual Predator Who Sexually Groomed and Assaulted Child Beginning When She Was ElevenRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has filed a denaturalization action in the Southern District of New York against Hassan Sherjil Khan, a native of Pakistan. Starting in 2007 or 2008, Khan began communicating online with an 11-year-old girl (the Victim). Until 2013, Khan, knowing that Victim was barely in her teens, continually coerced and enticed her to send him sexually explicit images of herself and to engage in sexually explicit conduct via live video chats. Khan also traveled abroad to engage in sexual acts with the Victim when she was only fifteen.
But when Khan applied for naturalization in August 2012 — just four months after he had traveled to have sexual contact with Victim — he concealed his involvement in his sex crimes. As a result, he was able to procure U.S. citizenship in May 2013. After Khan naturalized, the Victim disclosed his crimes, and he was arrested in September 2015 and charged with coercing and enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, sexual exploitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child outside of the United States, and receipt of child pornography.
“Naturalization and U.S. citizenship will not protect sexual predators from the consequences of their horrific acts,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “If you fail to disclose serious crimes while seeking naturalization, the government will discover your lies and revoke your ill-gotten U.S. citizenship.”
At the time of his arrest, Khan was working as a physician.
On Jan. 14, 2016, Khan pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). He was sentenced to 17 years in prison and remains incarcerated.
The denaturalization complaint against Khan alleges that he illegally procured his naturalization because when he naturalized, he lacked good moral character required for naturalization because he had committed a crime involving moral turpitude and then had given false testimony about his crimes during his naturalization proceedings. The denaturalization complaint also alleges that Khan obtained his naturalization through willful misrepresentations or concealment of material facts.
The litigation is being jointly handled by Deputy Chief Hans H. Chen of the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation-Affirmative Litigation Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Waterman for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Khan’s sex crimes were investigated by the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Rossmiller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The denaturalization claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability regarding Mr. Khan’s naturalization.
Note: This press release is based in part on the press release issued upon Khan’s criminal sentencing in June of 2016.
Justice Department Intervenes in xAI lawsuit Challenging Colorado’s ‘Algorithmic Discrimination’ LawRead the Press Release
The Justice Department moved to intervene in a lawsuit filed by artificial intelligence company xAI, challenging a new Colorado law that prohibits so-called “algorithmic discrimination.” The Justice Department alleges that the Colorado law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by requiring AI companies to prevent unintentional disparate impact that their products could have based on protected characteristics like race and sex, and by exempting liability for certain forms of discrimination designed to advance “diversity.”
“Laws that require AI companies to infect their products with woke DEI ideology are illegal,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will not stand on the sidelines while states such as Colorado coerce our nation’s technological innovators into producing harmful products that advance a radical, far left worldview at odds with the Constitution.”
“America’s success in the AI race will depend on removing barriers to innovation and adoption across sectors,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Laws like Colorado’s that force AI models to produce false results or promote ideological bias threaten national and economic security and must be stopped.”
The statute, Colorado SB24-205, requires AI “developers” and “deployers” to satisfy certain disclosure, reporting, and prevention requirements when creating algorithm products designed for services like mortgage lending, student admissions, and job-candidate selection. But the statute has an explicit carveout for discriminatory algorithms designed to advance “diversity” or “redress historic discrimination.” AI company xAI filed a lawsuit challenging the statute on April 9.
You can view the lawsuit here.
In One Week, DOJ’s New Fraud Division Secures $300M in Funding for Prosecutorial Support While Announcing More Indictments, Convictions, and Sentences Representing Millions in Taxpayer FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division announced the following actions from across the country to hold individuals accountable for schemes that attempted or succeeded in defrauding the American taxpayers.
“Our message is clear: Steal from the American taxpayer, and you will answer to federal prosecutors," said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “With our partners nationwide, we are holding criminals accountable and protecting taxpayer money. We will leave no stone unturned in our war against fraud.”
Notably, on April 22nd, the Justice Department announced the availability of $300 million in funding to prevent and prosecute fraud and other crimes nationwide. This grant program will strengthen investigative and prosecutorial capacity, expand intergovernmental coordination, and enhance the ability of jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute fraud and other crimes.
Friday, April 24
A New York man was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiring to launder the proceeds of a $24.4 million pharmacy fraud scheme. The defendant laundered the proceeds of the scheme through various trading companies, which gave the appearance of legitimate business, facilitated the kickbacks and bribes, and distributed profits among the pharmacies’ owners.
A West Virginia man was sentenced to five years of federal probation after admitting that he obtained a $2 million loan through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for his business and instead converted at least $1.4 million of the proceeds for his personal enrichment.
Thursday, April 23
The Criminal Division, D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office, and their law enforcement partners announced a series of coordinated actions by the Scam Center Strike Force against overseas criminal organizations that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars. These actions include charges against two Chinese nationals and $700 million in restrained cryptocurrency.
A Missouri man pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently obtain two Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans totaling $92,233.32, guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
A Missouri woman was sentenced to 41 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining $2.3 million in funds intended to feed hungry Missouri children.
Wednesday, April 22
A Washington man was arraigned in the U.S. District Court in Tacoma for multiple counts of wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud, resulting in more than $600,000 loss to federal nutrition program. A man in Maryland pleaded guilty to bank fraud after admitting to fraudulently obtaining $160,000 in COVID-19 relief funds and attempting to obstruct justice. He faces a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for bank fraud.
Five New Orleans men were indicted for violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act, the Federal Gun Control Act, and committing bank fraud.
A D.C. woman was sentenced to 11 months in prison for her role in a years-long conspiracy to steal more than $393,340 from her nonprofit employer by making unauthorized personal purchases on the organization’s corporate credit card.
A Missouri medical doctor was arrested on an indictment that accuses him of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid and providing prescription drugs to friends, people suffering from substance use disorders and those with whom he had sexual relationships.
A Florida woman was indicted by a federal grand jury charging her with two counts of wire fraud involving Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program funds.
Tuesday, April 21
A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania was indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of wire fraud and theft of government property, accepting bribes to approve more than $500,000 in fraudulent unemployment compensation claims.
Monday, April 20
Five Romanian nationals have been charged for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to steal nearly $1 million worth of food assistance benefits from low-income families and individuals in Ohio and California. A Florida woman who orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $465,489 in COVID-19 relief funding was sentenced to 18 months’ incarceration in Newark federal court.
A Cayman national who renounced his U.S. citizenship pleaded guilty to evading payment of more than $1.5 million of federal income tax liabilities. His sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, as well as restitution and monetary penalties.
A New York man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for defrauding the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) of approximately $1.1 million in loans awarded under the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Brockton, Mass., has been arrested and charged with healthcare benefit fraud and aggravated identity theft.
A Jefferson Parish resident was sentenced to 70 months in prison for obtaining over $350,000 in funds through numerous Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans using falsified tax forms, and also fraudulently obtained Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds in the names of numerous purported renters.
A Florida man was sentenced to 24 months in prison for his role in a $33 million health care fraud and kickback scheme in Newark, New Jersey.
Friday, April 17
A Kauai man was sentenced to 14 months in prison following his guilty plea for making a false statement to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for $1.4 million in funds.
A Detroit surgeon was sentenced to 12 months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for psychotherapy services.
Six St. Louis area residents were indicted for their involvement in a $8.3 million pandemic fraud scheme, and three were arrested.
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.
Updated April 24, 2026
Justice Department Places FDA-Approved Marijuana Products and Products Containing Marijuana Subject to a Qualifying State-issued License in Schedule III, Strengthening Medical Research While Maintaining Strict Federal ControlsRead the Press Release
In accordance with President Trump’s December 18, 2025, Executive Order on Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research, the Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today announced the issuance of an order immediately placing both FDA-approved products containing marijuana and marijuana products regulated by a state medical marijuana license in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, as well as the initiation of an expedited administrative hearing process to consider the broader rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. The new hearing, beginning June 29, 2026, will provide a timely and legally compliant pathway to evaluate broader changes to marijuana’s status under federal law. Together, these actions provide immediate and long-term clarity to researchers, patients, and providers alike while still maintaining strict federal controls against illicit drug trafficking.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is placing both FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana, and medicinal marijuana products subject to a qualifying state-issued license in Schedule III under his authority to reschedule drugs to carry out the United States’ obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. This action recognizes the longstanding regulation of medical marijuana by state governments and the need for a common-sense approach to this reality.
“The Department of Justice is delivering on President Trump’s promise to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information.”
“Under the direction of President Trump and Acting Attorney General Blanche, DEA is expeditiously moving forward with the administrative hearing process — bringing consistency and oversight to an area that has lacked both,” said DEA Administrator Terry Cole. “Our men and women in law enforcement remain committed to fighting drug cartels, the fentanyl epidemic, and protecting American lives.”
Separately, the Department announced procedural updates to expedite the ongoing rulemaking process required to fully remove marijuana from Schedule I and place it into Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.
Under the prior administration, a notice of proposed rulemaking was published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2024, followed by a notice of hearing on August 29, 2024. Upon further review, the DEA is withdrawing the prior notice of hearing and terminating those proceedings in order to move more efficiently toward the completion of marijuana’s complete redesignation. This action will accelerate the administrative process, include firm deadlines, and allow DEA to proceed in the most expeditious manner consistent with federal law.
DEA will hold a new administrative hearing beginning June 29, 2026, regarding the proposed rescheduling of marijuana. A new notice of hearing is being published in the Federal Register to govern these proceedings and facilitate a timely resolution of the rulemaking.
Today’s order is reflective of the Department of Justice’s continued dedication to common-sense policies and the prioritization of the safety and well-being of all Americans.
Antitrust Division Approves Department of Energy Defense Production Act Consortium’s Updated Voluntary Agreement and Plans of ActionRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, after consulting with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), published approvals for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Defense Production Act (DPA) Consortium’s updated Voluntary Agreement and related Plans of Action.
“The Defense Production Act is a powerful tool for addressing issues related to our nation’s defense and preparedness programs. We look forward to working with our DOE colleagues to achieve the DPA Consortium’s goals of energy independence and reliable access to fuel America’s energy dominance,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We applaud the domestic nuclear energy companies involved in the DPA Consortium for their efforts to assist the United States in strengthening the nuclear industrial base while staying within the bounds of antitrust law.”
“The Consortium’s work comes at a pivotal time for nuclear energy growth in our country,” said Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish. “I’m pleased with the dedication of the Committee and am looking forward to rapid progress on near term goals to achieve a robust American-made supply of nuclear fuel.”
In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, these agreements between U.S. nuclear energy companies take affirmative steps to increase domestic fuel availability, provide increased access to reliable power, and end America’s reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium and critical materials. The agreements will allow America’s domestic industry to work together to ensure that the capacity for the nuclear fuel supply chain – including mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, deconversion, fabrication, recycling and reprocessing – is available to enable the continued reliable operation of the nation’s reactors.
DPA Section 708 authorizes industry to enter into agreements necessary to meet national defense requirements. There is a limited antitrust defense available for actions taken to develop or carry out these approved agreements. The Justice Department will be leading efforts with FTC and DOE to continue to monitor the DOE DPA Consortium in its implementation of the approved Voluntary Agreement and Plans of Action.
For more information, please visit DOE’s DPA Consortium project page.
Justice Department Announces New Funding Opportunity to Prosecute Fraud, Drug Trafficking, and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the availability of $300 million in funding to prevent and prosecute fraud and other crimes nationwide. The new Special Attorneys Program notice of funding opportunity will support state, local, Tribal, and territorial prosecuting agencies in designating qualified prosecutors to serve as Special Attorneys within the Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division or Criminal Division, or as Special Assistant United States Attorneys within a United States Attorney’s Office.
This grant program will strengthen investigative and prosecutorial capacity, expand intergovernmental coordination, and enhance the ability of jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute fraud and other crimes committed by criminal aliens within the United States and drug and human trafficking crimes.
“This unprecedented funding opportunity is part of the Department of Justice’s historic effort to activate every available tool to secure the physical and financial security of our nation,” said Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “We invite prosecutors across the country to join the mission to eliminate fraud, defeat the drug cartels, and rescue victims of trafficking.”
Department of Justice efforts 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.
High-Ranking Member of Los Zetas Cartel Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Mexican national and high-ranking violent member of the Los Zetas cartel pleaded guilty today to federal narcotics charges.
According to court documents, Daniel Perez Rojas, also known as Cachetes and Cacheton 49, of Mexico, was a high-ranking member of Los Zetas cartel, a drug trafficking organization comprised primarily of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Perez Rojas defected from the Mexican military’s special forces unit in 2001 to join Los Zetas. He served in security roles for the then-leaders of Los Zetas before being named in 2007 as the successor to then-leader Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano.
“Daniel Perez Rojas was a high-ranking member of Los Zetas Cartel, one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in Mexico that trafficked massive amounts of cocaine and marijuana into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Perez Rojas was responsible for rampant violence, corruption, and intimidation in Mexico and elsewhere that allowed the cartel’s rampant drug trafficking to continue. Today’s conviction is a powerful reminder that the Criminal Division will aggressively pursue violent cartel members and hold them accountable for the harm they have caused here and abroad.”
“Daniel Perez Rojas, a high-ranking member of the Los Zetas cartel, was transferred to the United States in August, and today pled guilty to federal drug charges,” said Chief of Operations Matthew W. Allen of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Let this be a clear message: No one escapes justice in America. This Administration will use the full strength of the federal government to defend our nation and protect the American people.”
Perez Rojas routinely used violence on the cartel’s behalf. In 2008, he traveled to Guatemala, where Los Zetas had paid millions of dollars in bribes to the newly elected president. Perez Rojas and other Los Zetas members met with Guatemalan government officials to discuss the cartel’s expansion into Guatemala and with other drug traffickers to arrange supplies of cocaine. During a meeting with a rival Guatemalan drug trafficker, Perez Rojas and other Los Zetas members murdered that rival and several of his associates and bodyguards.
Perez Rojas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and one thousand kilograms or more of marijuana for unlawful importation into the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 30 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich, Hunter Smith and Erik Cervantes of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in connection with Perez-Rojas’ August 2025 transfer from Mexico to the United States pursuant to Mexico’s National Security law.
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 Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Homeland Security Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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.