Northern District of Ohio
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Venezuelan National Residing Unlawfully in the U.S. Charged with Illegal Possession of a Firearm and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A Venezuelan man residing in Perrysburg, Ohio, has been accused of lying on immigration forms and on applications to purchase a firearm. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, 24, was charged by criminal complaint today for possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States, making false statements during the purchase of a firearm and for using false documents.
According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, Perrysburg Schools reported to the Perrysburg Police Department that they had received information that Labrador-Sierra, a student attending Perrysburg High School, was actually a 24-year-old man who enrolled under false pretenses. Labrador-Sierra is also alleged to have submitted false material information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about his date of birth in connection with applications for Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization Documents in 2024 and 2025.
The complaint further alleges that Labrador-Sierra does not have lawful status to purchase, own or possess a firearm in the United States, and that he submitted false information on the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 to purchase a firearm. Among the alleged false statements he submitted when he purchased a Taurus 9mm, semiautomatic pistol from a licensed firearms dealer, were that he attested to being a United States citizen or national.
If convicted, Labrador-Sierra faces up to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by an alien; 10 years in prison for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm; and up to five years in prison for using false documents.
This case is being investigated by the City of Perrysburg Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector−Sandusky Bay Station, the FBI Toledo Field Office, the ATF, with assistance from the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Melching and Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Dobson.
This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visit fbi.gov/tips.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Operating Sports Betting Ponzi Scheme That Stole More Than $8.5M from VictimsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Matthew J. Turnipseede, 51, of Las Vegas, Nevada, has been sentenced to more than five years in prison (65 months) by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher A. Boyko after admitting to orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded business investors out of over $8.5 million. He was also ordered to pay $4,731,165.10 in restitution. Turnipseede pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud in November 2024.
According to the indictment, from March 2015 to May 2021, Turnipseede induced approximately 72 individuals in Ohio and elsewhere to invest over $8.5 million in his betting companies, Edgewize and Moneyline Analytics. He promised that their funds would be used to make sophisticated sports wagers which used an algorithm that generated double-digit returns. Turnipseede also told investors that he would not take compensation for placing wagers, but instead would retain a percentage of winning profits.
In truth, none of Turnipseede’s companies ever generated the promised profits. Instead, the defendant used the investors’ money to maintain the businesses, seek additional sources of funds, and pay off earlier investors.
To perpetuate the scheme, the defendant emailed the victim-investors periodic updates describing how successful Edgewize and Moneyline Analytics were. He also emailed the victim-investors falsified financial statements purporting to show substantial gains on their investments. When a victim wanted to withdraw some, or all, of their funds, Turnipseede would use money invested by other victims to cover the withdrawal request. The scheme collapsed in May 2021 when Turnipseede declared bankruptcy, still owing his investors over $4.7 million in principal alone.
The defendant also admitted to using investor funds for his personal expenses such as family trips, spa treatments, lease payments on multiple vehicles, and country club membership dues.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica D. Barnhill and Brian M. McDonough for the Northern District of Ohio.
Former Solon-based Manufacturer to Pay $6M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The Justice Department has announced that Cosmax USA, a corporation having previously done business as two separate entities, Cosmax USA and Nu-World Corporation, has agreed to pay $6 million, of which $3 million is restitution, to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) that they knowingly provided false information to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and loan forgiveness. The companies are part of a global conglomerate that supplies cosmetics and nutritional supplements. Nu-World was merged into Cosmax USA in 2023.
Cosmax USA operated a manufacturing facility in Solon, Ohio up until 2023. This settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by a former employee who worked at that location. Under the whistleblower provisions of the FCA, an individual, known in legal terms as the “relator,” may file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The relator in this case, Alexander Novik, served as Cosmax USA’s controller and also in its human resources department.
The PPP was launched through the Small Business Administration (SBA), with the enactment of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020. The program provided eligible companies with financial support as businesses faced unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This resolution addresses two alleged violations in which the United States contended that Cosmax USA and Nu-World submitted false information to be eligible to receive PPP funds.
First, the resolution addresses allegations that Nu-World submitted an application in April 2020 for a First-Draw PPP loan, and an application for forgiveness of that loan in 2021, based on a calculated loan amount that was partially based on payments to temporary employees who were not employees of Nu-World.
Second, the resolution addresses allegations that Cosmax USA falsely certified that it was a small business with fewer than 300 employees (including employees at affiliated companies) when it submitted its Second-Draw PPP loan application. In reality, the number of Cosmax USA’s employees, when combined with the number of employees working at its affiliate Nu-World, exceeded the PPP program’s 300-employee limit.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel (SBA-OGC) and Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG).
Trial Attorney Graham D. Welch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Jackson Froliklong for the Northern District of Ohio handled the matter, with assistance from Thomas W. Rigby and Arlene P. Messinger Lerner of the SBA.
Anyone with information about allegations of CARES Act fraud may submit a report with the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
executed_settlement_agreement-cosmax_0.pdfOhio Man Sentenced to Prison for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Fraud Totaling More Than $2MRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – An Ohio man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for submitting false information to be eligible to receive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Daniel R. Hitlan, 34, of Huron, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering in February. U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick imposed the sentence May 20. Hitlan was also ordered to pay $2,744,013.33 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
Court documents show that in April and May of 2020, the defendant obtained three fraudulent PPP loans for small businesses that he owned. The PPP was meant to assist small businesses and was launched with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020. The program provided eligible companies with much-needed financial support as businesses faced unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hitlan admitted to creating fictitious payroll documents and forms to submit with PPP loan applications. Federal investigators further found that the information he submitted was not supported or found to be valid when crosschecked with IRS, state, and other records. The IRS showed no records of payroll, withholdings, or return filings for the entities he included in the loan applications.
According to the indictment, Hitlan used the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds to purchase multiple items for himself and others. Among his purchases were Rolex watches, a Cadillac Escalade, a vintage Chevrolet Corvette, and real estate.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations (CI) and the FBI Cleveland Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford for the Northern District of Ohio.
IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.
Anyone with information about allegations of CARES Act fraud may submit a report with the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former Postal Employee Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Nearly $2M Worth of Checks from the MailRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Gregory Drake, 35, of Cleveland, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of mail by a postal employee. The scheme involved stealing checks from the mail and giving them to co-conspirators to alter and deposit at banks.
According to court documents, in May 2022, in Lakewood, Ohio, many businesses began to report a rash of stolen checks that were either mailed in or out of the Lakewood Post Office, which prompted the U.S. Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) to begin an investigation.
During that time and in the months that followed, Drake served as a postal worker in the Lakewood Post Office. Because of his role, he had access to mail that was in the custody of the USPS and was able to identify mail that contained checks. He would then give stolen checks to co-conspirators who would alter, duplicate, or forge them.
On Oct. 6, 2022, USPS-OIG inspectors caught Drake stealing two business checks from the mail.
During the subsequent investigation, authorities discovered that, in total, 127 checks were stolen with a value of $1,988,715.78.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna L. Fasko for the Northern District of Ohio.
To report fraud, visit https://www.uspis.gov/report.
Northern District of Ohio U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Immigration Enforcement ActionsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments for multiple individuals on charges of illegal reentry offenses. Additionally, one defendant pleaded guilty to illegal reentry. These are separate cases and are not related.
Oscar Arcos-Carvajal, 40, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Oct. 22, 2009. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, Sandusky Bay Station.
Erick Cordova Rodriguez, 37, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being June 13, 2018. He was also previously convicted of attempted illegal reentry on June 7, 2018. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Antonio G. Nicolas-Pedro, 31, a citizen of Guatemala, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on three occasions: Jan. 24, 2018, April 3, 2018, and June 7, 2018. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE-HSI.
Dino De Laurentis Rivera-Lopez, aka Jorge Palmero Rivera Lopez, 44, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on three occasions with the last being Jan. 20, 2020. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE-HSI and the Campbell Police Department.
Additionally, Veronica Rios-Ruiz, 47, a citizen of Mexico, has been sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in federal court to illegal reentry of a removed alien. According to information presented in court, Rios-Ruiz was previously removed from the United States three times with the most recent being Dec. 15, 2007. She was also previously convicted of identity fraud in 2007. Rios-Ruiz has been in custody since her arrest on Feb. 25, 2025 and will remain detained pending deportation from the United States. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE-HSI.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
These cases are 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 communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - In honor of National Police Week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. This year, the week is observed May 11-17, 2025.
“This week as we remember those who lost their lives in the line of duty, it’s especially tough for our District, as several communities continue to mourn the loss of two of our local police officers. We honor and pay tribute to them, and to the others throughout the country, who have paid the ultimate price while protecting our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik. “To these courageous men and women, we say thank you.”
Based on data in the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) 2024 Annual Report, 148 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2024. Of those, four were from Ohio with two fatal shootings taking place in the Northern District of Ohio.
The first fatality in the USAO District was Jacob Derbin, 23, who served with the Euclid Police Department. On May 11, 2024, Officer Derbin was shot as he responded to a call to assist a woman who was receiving death threats from an ex-boyfriend. The second fatality was Jamieson Ritter, 27, who served with the Cleveland Division of Police. Officer Ritter was shot while serving an arrest warrant on July 4, 2024.
The names of all fallen officers in 2024 will be engraved on the wall of the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and will be read aloud at the 37th Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 8 p.m. The vigil will be streamed live, online via the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF.
Locally, the Cleveland Police Memorial Society will host a series of events to honor law enforcement including a grave marker ceremony, a candlelight vigil, and a number of gatherings. Local, county, state, and federal agencies will take part in a Police Week Parade Friday, May 16, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Details are available at policememorialsociety.org.
Police Week memorial events will also be held throughout the District in Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Toledo, Mansfield, and Elyria.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week as a way to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifice. Peace Officers Memorial Day is observed annually on May 15 and specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
19 Members of a Drug Trafficking Ring Indicted in ClevelandRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Ohio has returned a 29-count indictment against 19 members and associates of a Cleveland drug trafficking ring. Those charged are Derek Brantley, 41, Cleveland Heights; Juan Johnny Colon, 42, Cleveland; Luis Joel Rondon, 44, Cleveland; Sydney Anthony, 25, Parma Heights; Ryan Bell, 39, Brunswick; Mark Byrd, 44, Cleveland; Nicholas Calvert, 37, Avon Lake; Jocelyn Dolan, 22, Newton Falls; Antonio Greenlee, 37, Cleveland; Andre Jenkins, 43, Cleveland; Melanie Crespo, 32, Elyria; Jordan Marsh, 27, Cleveland; Nicholas Malusky, 38, Parma; Sean Masters, 54, Fort Pierce, Florida; Brandon Payne, 32, Cleveland; Lee Pomales, 38, Cleveland; Mason Pulvino, 28, North Ridgeville; Martha Rios, 68, Cleveland; and Kalem Watts, 45, Cleveland.
Federal and local law enforcement agents and officers made the apprehensions in a series of coordinated arrests.
According to court documents, from October 2023 to December 2024, the defendants charged were alleged to have trafficked various controlled substances but were mostly dealing cocaine. Although based in Cleveland, the ring operated throughout Northeast Ohio and as far away as Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Their operations also included attempts to infiltrate the Ohio prison system.
Throughout the investigation, authorities seized thousands of dollars in cash and a number of illegal drugs that included cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Several illegally possessed firearms were also confiscated throughout the investigation.
During the investigation, several locations in Cleveland were found to be used as stash houses to store and package cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as store firearms.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF), and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Border Patrol, along with task force officers from numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police. Prosecutions are led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Corts for the Northern District of Ohio is leading the prosecution in this case.
Two Indian Nationals Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking More Than 100 Pounds of CocaineRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Gurpinder Singh, 30, and Gursharn Singh, 25, both citizens of India, have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Knepp. Both defendants pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to court documents, on Oct. 3, 2023, a U.S. Border Patrol agent and Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers observed a semi-tractor trailer truck parked for an unusually extended amount of time at a travel plaza in Wood County off Interstate 280. Upon the verification of the truck’s displayed U.S. Department of Transportation numbers, they learned that one of the numbers had a previous association with drug trafficking and was therefore not authorized to haul interstate commerce. Officers then began to conduct surveillance on the truck. The following day, the truck was observed being relocated to a second travel plaza also located along Interstate 280, where it again remained parked for an extended period of time. Because authorities observed the truck being stationary for a total of over 24 hours at two different travel plazas, they proceeded to contact the DEA Toledo Field Office for assistance. Agents then had a consensual encounter with the two defendants associated with the truck. During the encounter, Gurpinder Singh denied being parked at the previous location where the truck was observed the day before.
A border patrol agent then deployed a K-9 partner near the defendants’ truck. The K-9 conducted an exterior sniff of the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics on the passenger side of the truck. Officers then conducted a probable cause search of the truck and found several duffel bags with kilogram-sized packages of suspected cocaine. Two of the packages yielded a positive field test result for cocaine. The remaining substances were submitted to the DEA crime laboratory for analysis. Lab tests conducted on the substances yielded a net result of 49.9 kilograms of powder cocaine.
Upon further investigation, federal agents discovered that the defendants lacked legal status in the United States. They will be subject to removal from the United States upon the completion of their sentences.
This case was investigated by the DEA Task Force of Toledo Field Office in partnership with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Border Patrol Sandusky Bay Station.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison After Admitting to Sexually Abusing and Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Michael D. Aspinwall, 38, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced to 27 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp, after he admitted to creating and distributing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Aspinwall pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. He was also ordered to serve lifetime supervised release after imprisonment and register as a sex offender, per the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.
According to court documents, from about Oct. 1, 2023 to Feb. 9, 2024, Aspinwall admitted to producing sexual abuse materials of children and sending and receiving the digital files through mobile applications. FBI-Toledo, along with the assistance of Toledo Police officers, executed a search warrant on Feb. 9, 2024, and seized the defendant’s cellphone which was found to contain sexually explicit photos and videos of minors, including infants and toddlers. Additionally, during conversations with an online covert investigator, Aspinwall admitted to sexually abusing children−whom he babysat−while they were sleeping.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Toledo Field Office and the Toledo Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Al-Sorghali for the Northern District of Ohio.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Ohio Woman Formally Indicted on Charges of Sexually Exploiting ToddlersRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging Molly Elisabeth Duncan, 25, of Beachwood, Ohio, with sexual exploitation of children, distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), which is also known as child pornography.
According to the indictment, from November 2023 to March 2024, Duncan allegedly engaged in the sexual exploitation of minor victim #1 for the purpose of producing a visual depiction to distribute to others. From April 2024 to July 2024, she engaged in the sexual exploitation of minor victim #2 for the purpose of producing a visual depiction to distribute to others. Duncan is also alleged to have used a mobile application to send numerous CSAM digital files to others that contained the visual depictions of the minor victims.
In the original criminal complaint and underlying affidavit filed April 4, 2025, Duncan was a nanny to two toddler-aged victims and was alleged to have produced sexual abuse materials of each in their homes located in the Northern District of Ohio. During a forensic examination of a cellphone found in her possession, investigators discovered multiple CSAM images and videos on the device.
If convicted of sexual exploitation of children, Duncan faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years. If convicted of distributing visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, she faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years.
This case is being investigated by the Cleveland Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.
Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151.
An indictment is merely a charge. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. Launched in May 2006, this nationwide initiative combats the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOs, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Marquise A. Billy, 31, of Long Pond, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $107,800.
According to court documents, Billy collaborated with a co-conspirator, Rodney A. Martin, 62, of the Bronx, New York, to carry out a criminal scheme to find banks where they could cash fake checks. On Oct. 12, 2022, the two took a flight from New York to Ohio. After arriving in Columbus, Billy rented a car and the two proceeded to drive throughout the state to cash fraudulent checks at banks they had pre-selected to target. Billy provided Martin with counterfeit United States passport identification cards of 14 individuals to use as ID to cash checks. Martin rotated through the IDs and used a different one at each bank transaction. Using this tactic, Martin was able to fraudulently cash checks at several financial institutions in amounts ranging from $4,500 to $5,500.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that the defendants, had in fact, made multiple trips to Ohio and elsewhere to carry out their conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The two men visited 21 bank locations where Martin cashed fraudulent checks using the fake IDs that Billy provided. In the Northern District of Ohio, the banks targeted were located in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Portage, Trumbull, and Wayne Counties. In total, Billy and Martin stole $107,800 from several community banks.
On Feb. 6, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge John R. Adams sentenced Martin to 30 months in prison and five years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, the Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General, the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York City Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason W. White.
Ohio Men Receive Lengthy Prison Sentences for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, and other chargesRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – Andrew Corbin, 36, and Calvin Roberts, 42, both of Akron, have been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy charges. U.S. District Court Judge John R. Adams sentenced Corbin to 15 years (180 months) in prison. Corbin pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and to using his residence to conduct drug-related activities. Roberts was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison (235 months) by Judge Adams. Roberts pleaded guilty to conspiracy and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine and for using his home to store the substances and conduct drug transactions. Additionally, Roberts pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was previously convicted of trafficking heroin in 2013 and 2020.
According to court documents, from about April 1 to about Aug. 28, 2023, Roberts obtained distribution quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from a local supplier. In turn, Roberts would sell drugs to his neighbor, Corbin, who lived only a short distance away on the same street. The two defendants regularly sold drugs out of their homes. Using a network of co-conspirators, they further distributed these drugs to customers in and around the Summit County area.
During a search warrant execution of Roberts’s residence on Aug. 28, 2023, investigators seized a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol, ecstasy pills, a digital scale, an extended magazine, and two cellphones. He later admitted to selling fentanyl and methamphetamine out of his home for about $1,600-$1,900 per pound. On the same day, investigators executed a search warrant at Corbin’s residence and seized a Phoenix Arms 9mm pistol, ammunition, scales, drug paraphernalia, and several cellphones. During the investigation, Corbin admitted to using and selling drugs that he purchased from Roberts.
Collectively, the seized drugs weighed in at approximately 17 ounces and were calculated to have a street value of more than $8,000.
Other co-conspirators were also indicted in this case. Ernest Shropshire, 39, of Akron, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges and is scheduled to be sentenced May 22, 2025. Phillip August, 57, of Akron, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges and is scheduled to be sentenced May 20, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Conspiracy That Took Nearly $7M from InvestorsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – An Ohio man was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese after being found guilty of conspiring to artificially inflate prices on a low-value stock being sold to investors. He was also ordered to pay a $200,000 fine. After imprisonment, he was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Restitution amounts are yet to be determined.
Last September, a federal jury convicted Paul Spivak, 66, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Spivak was also found guilty on two counts of wire fraud. He then pleaded guilty to four other counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, and a separate count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The jury also convicted codefendant Charles Scott, 70, of Alexandria, Virginia, of securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
According to court documents, trial testimony, and exhibits, Spivak was the majority owner and chief executive officer of U.S. Lighting Group, Inc. (USLG), a publicly traded Florida corporation based in Euclid, Ohio. At various times, the company designed and manufactured commercial LED lights, aftermarket auto parts, and fiberglass recreational campers, and boats. USLG traded on OTC Markets as a “penny” stock due to its low market value. Penny stocks are known to be vulnerable to price manipulation due to lower trading volume and because they draw less scrutiny than other stocks.
Between 2016 and 2019, Spivak and several co-conspirators took USLG public through a reverse merger with a shell company. Using a variety of tactics, they artificially inflated the price of USLG stock to facilitate getting the company listed on a stock exchange.
When the stock price was artificially high, Spivak had a team of co-conspirators use aliases to act as unlicensed stockbrokers to cold-call potential investors and persuade them to buy restricted stock shares. The brokers offered the stock at a steep discount relative to the apparent market price, convincing investors that the stock purchase was a great investment.
USLG took in approximately $6.9 million between 2016 and 2019 from investors throughout the country, including many who were elderly. Individuals paid anywhere between $4,000 and $1 million to purchase the restricted stock shares which they were led to believe were a good deal on the investment.
Spivak rewarded the success of these unlicensed stockbrokers with large, undisclosed commissions. He disguised their compensation as payments on invoices he asked them to submit for purported consulting services. In total, approximately 200 payments worth $2 million in undisclosed commissions were paid out to the unlicensed stockbrokers.
Additionally, in early 2021 Spivak and Scott worked with co-conspirators to continue manipulating stock value by having them receive USLG shares to sell at inflated prices. They arranged for co-conspirators to manipulate the price of the stock through the use of a call room, also known as a boiler room.
In covertly recorded discussions with one of the would-be co-conspirators, Spivak explained that, because of how few shares the investing public traded without manipulation, it “wouldn't take very much to get the stock to go very high. I mean like very high.” Spivak explained that securities regulators “don't care what we do out of the country.” So, for his long-term plans to get USLG’s stock price “going like crazy,” he hoped to set up a boiler room operation “someplace in Barcelona, someplace outta the United States.”
Spivak set up a cyclical arrangement for all participants to profit from this stock manipulation. At Spivak’s direction, co-conspirators Scott and Forrest Church, 62, of Haleyville, Alabama, acting as Spivak’s and USLG’s nominees, would sell stock they had acquired at a low price, to the boiler room operators at a higher price. Those operators would then sell that stock to unsuspecting investors at the inflated prices, also netting a profit. Scott and Church would then send about half of the funds they received back to USLG and receive additional low-priced stock, which they would later sell to the boiler room operators to start the cycle again.
The defendants would later learn that the co-conspirators who had agreed to run the boiler room and buy the stock from Scott and Church were, in fact, undercover agents investigating the case.
Spivak took numerous steps to conceal the scheme, hide evidence, and otherwise end the investigation and prosecution. He took many of those steps after he was arrested, which investigators discovered on recorded phone calls that he placed to his wife and employees from jail. For example, he repeatedly pressured his wife to have USLG’s chief financial officer call the FBI agent and offer to pay $200,000 “for this thing to go away.” On another call, Spivak outlined plans for USLG and its shareholders to “sue the FBI.”
Other co-conspirators involved in the scheme have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and other charges, including Spivak’s wife, Church, and some of the unlicensed stockbrokers who Spivak employed. Two of those brokers, Larry Matyas, 43, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Christopher Bongiorno, 46, of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, were each sentenced to one year and one day in prison earlier this week. The remaining co-conspirators are scheduled to be sentenced on April 29 and 30, 2025.
On Feb. 12, 2025, Scott was sentenced to three years and five months in prison after a conviction for securities fraud conspiracy and one count of securities fraud. He was also ordered to pay $500,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Morrison, Megan Miller, and Stephanie Wojtasik for the Northern District of Ohio.
To report investment, financial, and related violations, visit https://www.sec.gov/submit-tip-or-complaint.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Possessing Fentanyl and Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Jamill H. McDonald, 43, of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after a federal jury found him guilty of possessing distribution quantities of fentanyl and cocaine.
According to court documents, on Oct. 18, 2023, McDonald contacted law enforcement to report that someone was breaking into his apartment. When officers arrived, McDonald granted them entry into his residence. The defendant showed officers his cellphone to view the video footage from his external security camera. The videos showed a male attempting to break into McDonald’s apartment. Officers did not find any other occupants inside the defendant’s apartment. However, as officers continued to check the apartment for signs of intrusion, they found a package in one of the bedrooms which they suspected contained narcotics. The defendant was shown the package in question, and he then informed officers that he had never seen the package before and did not know what they contained. The defendant was subsequently detained by the officers.
During a search warrant execution of the defendant’s residence, authorities confiscated a number of suspicious items from the kitchen. They found baggies filled with various amounts of either marijuana or white powder, and a scale with residue. In the defendant’s bedroom, officers recovered three cellphones, a box with two large packages containing white powder, and two men’s jackets. In one jacket, investigators found three additional baggies that contained suspected narcotic pills. In the other jacket, investigators found $10,200 cash.
Laboratory tests conducted on the suspected narcotics found in McDonald’s residence were confirmed to be fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. Collectively, the seized drugs weighed in at approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine, and 310 grams of fentanyl and heroin, and were calculated to have a street value of more than $30,000.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that McDonald had at least two prior felony convictions of either a crime of violence or controlled substance offenses. Because of the defendant’s significant criminal history, Judge Adams designated him as a career offender, therefore making him eligible to receive an enhanced penalty at sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Mayfield Heights Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.
Northern District of Ohio U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Multiple Defendants with Immigration ViolationsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments for the following individuals on charges of immigration-related law violations. These are separate cases and are not related.
Hector Linares, 47, a citizen of El Salvador, has been indicted on three counts. He has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, and for being an alien in possession of a firearm, for possessing a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol and ammunition. In 2010, he was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine. Linares was also charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Nov. 24, 2023. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the United States Marshals Service.
Edil A. Martinez-Padilla, 38, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States twice with the last being April 24, 2013. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Carlos Daniel Romero-Esborar, 39, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being April 27, 2012. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the USAO’s criminal division are prosecuting the cases above.
Additionally, Juan Tiul Xi, 26, a citizen of Guatemala unlawfully residing in Cleveland, has been indicted for allegedly submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Tiul Xi encouraged and induced a 14-year-old female unaccompanied minor from Guatemala to illegally enter the United States. It is alleged that he used his sister’s identity for the girl to provide as an alias which he included on paperwork in an effort to obtain custody of her. This indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The ICE HSI and FBI Cleveland Division are jointly investigating with assistance from HSI’s attaché team in Guatemala. Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), Joint Task Force Alpha detailee/Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik and Criminal Division Chief Michael L. Collyer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
These cases are 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 communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
USAO Charges Multiple Defendants with Immigration-related ViolationsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments for the following individuals on charges of immigration-related law violations. These are separate cases and are not related.
Ana Alvarez-Limonche, 20, a citizen of Venezuela, was indicted on two charges of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents for having fraudulent permanent resident and Social Security cards. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
Gildardo Alvarez-Rodriguez, 59, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Sept. 24, 2020. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.
Franklin Calix-Romero, 34, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person for possessing a Ruger 9mm semiautomatic pistol and 9mm ammunition. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by a joint FBI/State/Local Task Force.
Jose Cruz-Aguilar, 41, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Feb. 27, 2017. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by a joint FBI/State/Local Task Force.
Carlos Garcia-Garcia, 45, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Feb. 19, 2005. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.
Jhofran Andres Laya-Gutierrez, 28, a citizen of Venezuela, has been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer; destruction, alteration, or falsification or records; fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents; and misrepresentation of a Social Security number. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP and the FBI Toledo Field Office.
Jeyson Martinez, aka, Jayson Martinez-Juarez, 32, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Nov. 23, 2018. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.
Jose Maximiliano Zepeda-Gutierrez, 45, a citizen of Guatemala, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being July 10, 2019. The defendant was previously convicted in 2018 for conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Toledo Field Office.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
A team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the USAO’s criminal division are prosecuting these cases.
These cases are 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 communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
USAO Committed to Prosecuting Those Who Sexually Exploit and Abuse ChildrenRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio is raising awareness of Child Abuse Prevention Month in April by bringing attention to the some of the youngest victims of crime.
While child abuse can take many forms, the USAO specifically handles online cases where children have been sexually exploited by adults. Federal law prohibits the production, advertisement, transportation, distribution, receipt, sale, access or possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) utilizing a means of interstate commerce. The law further prohibits the online coercion or enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. The USAO also prosecutes cases where offenders travel to engage in sexual activity with a minor under 16 or who transport a minor across state lines to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
Although the term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes, the term “pornography” can conjure up a false connection to adult pornography that is created by consenting adults 18 years and older. Instead, child pornography consists of videos and images of victims ranging in age from newborn to 17 years old, and who are physically tortured, sexually abused, extorted, manipulated, or simply incapable of comprehending the ramifications of their material posted online. Therefore, organizations who work to combat child exploitation prefer that these actions be referred to as “CSAM” as it reflects the abuse and exploitation depicted in the images and videos that result in prolonged trauma to children.
“Offenders use the easy access of the internet to perpetuate this type of criminal behavior against our most vulnerable. Unbeknownst to parents, they connect with children online through social media, video games and other apps. In other cases, victims know their abuser. It could be a trusted friend, neighbor, coach, religious leader, babysitter −or even a parent−committing these crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “Our office is determined to go after these perpetrators and will continue to dedicate time and resources to investigate and prosecute CSAM offenders so that we can protect and rescue the children of our District as well as those in the worldwide internet community.”
With the proliferation of the internet, the Department of Justice launched the Project Safe Childhood initiative in 2006 to combat technology-facilitated crimes that involve the sexual exploitation of children. Sexual predators use online avenues such as social media, to solicit children for physical sexual contact. Increasingly, offenders entice, coerce or groom minors into producing CSAM. They accomplish this by gaining their trust in a number of ways quickly. Some minors report chatting with offenders for less than an hour before being asked to provide sexually explicit photos of themselves. Minors who comply with the request oftentimes become the victims of sextortion, where the perpetrator threatens to blackmail them in some way.
Recent USAO cases involving child exploitation and sexual abuse include:
U.S v. Rudra - A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. He admitted to picking her up in his vehicle to drive her to a hotel for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual acts with her. He was also found to possess CSAM on his electronic devices.
U.S. v. Chesser – A former firefighter from Maumee, Ohio, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a two-year-old and produced child pornography of the toddler. He sexually exploited a second minor who was a teenager.
U.S. v. Walker – A Rocky River, Ohio, man was sentenced to 35 years in prison after admitted to harming his victims and recording the sexual abuse on his cellphone. He connected with an 11-year-old victim through a children’s app and coerced her to send him sexually explicit photos. Two additional victims were identified as toddlers at a home daycare where he visited a friend who resided there.
U.S. v. Patterson – A Canton, Ohio, man was sentenced to 26 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges including possessing hundreds of CSAM images that included children under the age of 12. Some of the images were of a minor who was unaware that she was being surreptitiously recorded by a hidden camera.
U.S. v. Hughes – A Piqua, Ohio, man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for admitting his intention to engage in sexual activity with a purported seven-year-old daughter of an undercover agent.
U.S. v. Reebel – A federal jury convicted a Toledo, Ohio, man of receiving and distributing CSAM, for nearly eight years. Investigators also discovered that he used social media for years to chat with minors and send them sexually explicit messages and photos of himself. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 23, 2025.
U.S. v. Greulich – A Cleveland man pleaded guilty to gaining the trust of a 14-year-old girl through a social media app and then driving to her home in New York on two separate occasions to take her to a hotel where he violently and sexually abused her which he recorded on a digital device. Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2025.
To report child sexual abuse, please visit www.cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to More than 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio - Hershel Winbush, 68, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after he pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery in Lucas County, Ohio, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release for a prior conviction. Imprisonment will be for a total term of 140 months (more than 11 years) for each count to run concurrently and pay $8,210 in restitution. Upon release from imprisonment, the defendant was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release.
According to court documents and court records, Winbush entered several financial institutions in the Toledo, Ohio, area from 2019 through 2024 and threatened bank employees with violence by presenting notes such as “I have a gun, give me all the cash available,” and “This is a hold up. I have a gun.” Federally insured banking institutions that were affected included:
- Woodforest National Bank, Glendale Ave., Oct. 24, 2019
- Woodforest National Bank, Glendale Ave., Nov. 5, 2019
- Jeep Federal Credit Union, Manhattan Blvd., April 8, 2024
- Key Bank, Secor Rd., April 22, 2024
During the investigation, authorities discovered that Winbush had a decades-long pattern of bank robberies and had multiple incarcerations and prior convictions for crimes of violence in Michigan. Winbush was classified as a Career-Offender by Judge Jack Zouhary.
This case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office and the Toledo Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Simko for the Northern District of Ohio.
Iranian National Indicted for Operating Online Marketplace Offering Fentanyl, Other Drugs, and Money Laundering ServicesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury has charged Behrouz Parsarad, an Iranian national, for his role as the creator and operator of Nemesis Market, a dark web marketplace designed to enable users to buy and sell illegal drugs and other illicit goods. The market also sold criminal cyber-services such as obtaining stolen financial information, fraudulent identification documents, counterfeit currencies, and computer malware.
According to the indictment, Parsarad, 36, of Tehran, Iran, launched Nemesis Market in or around March 2021. Nemesis Market operated on the dark web, a network that uses The Onion Router (TOR) to encrypt traffic and hide users’ Internet Protocol (IP) address. At its peak, Nemesis Market had over 150,000 users and more than 1,100 vendor accounts registered worldwide. Between 2021 and 2024, Nemesis Market processed more than 400,000 orders, including more than 60,000 orders in 2022 and more than 250,000 orders in 2023. Of these, more than 55,000 orders were categorized as stimulants, which included sub-categories for methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), and other controlled substances. More than 17,000 orders were categorized as opioids, which included sub-categories for fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone. All of the substances covertly purchased by the government and marketed on Nemesis as “isotonitazene,” “M30s” (purporting to be oxycodone), and “Percs” (purporting to be Percocet) were confirmed by laboratory reports to be mixtures and substances containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance and/or acetylfentanyl, heroin, and/or protonitazene, each a Schedule I controlled substance.
“The allegations in this indictment span over four hundred thousand transactions involving fentanyl, other dangerous drugs, and a wide range of contraband made accessible on the darknet for more than three years,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through cooperation with German and Lithuanian partners, the alleged administrator of this marketplace has been charged, servers and other infrastructure have been seized, and dangerous drugs and other contraband have been stopped from entering the United States. This case demonstrates the Department’s tireless commitment to protecting U.S. communities from the harms caused by fentanyl and darknet marketplaces and pursuing accountability for those who would endanger our communities no matter where they are located.”
“Anyone who tries to profit from the sale of illegal drugs - whether it’s on the streets or online – will face consequences. Whether you sell or help others sell these dangerous drugs, you will be held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “I want to acknowledge the excellent investigative work of our federal agency partners here in Ohio who helped us to bring the charges in this case. Together, we remain committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe and our streets free from illegal narcotics.”
“This indictment, made possible by the assistance of our German and Lithuanian allies, underscores the importance of global partnerships and international collaboration,” said FBI Cleveland Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Johnston. “Nemesis Market, through the darknet, was a borderless powerhouse of criminal activity that not only fueled the drug epidemic, but also a multitude of illegal acts with the capacity to harm our citizens and destroy our communities. The FBI stands firm in its commitment to identify and investigate unlawful individuals and dismantle their networks operating with criminal intent.”
Parsarad is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances in the Northern District of Ohio and elsewhere. In addition, Parsarad is also charged with money laundering conspiracy for both using proceeds to promote illegal drug dealing and for offering money laundering services through Nemesis Market by mixing cryptocurrencies used to pay for goods and services to obscure their origins. Nemesis users were not allowed to conduct transactions in official, government-backed currencies.
On March 20, 2024, U.S. law enforcement, in cooperation with German and Lithuanian authorities, seized Nemesis Market and stemmed the flow of these drugs into the United States and elsewhere. In March 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Parsarad for his role as the administrator of Nemesis Market. According to OFAC, Nemesis Market facilitated the sale of nearly $30 million worth of drugs between 2021 and 2024.
If convicted, Parsarad faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life.
The FBI Cleveland Division is investigating the case with assistance from the DEA and IRS-Criminal Investigations Chicago. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Cybercrime Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust provided significant assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Segev Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Northern District of Illinois and District of Massachusetts.
This case was investigated as part of an FBI-led interagency Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) operation. J-CODE brings together experts from the DEA, the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Department of Defense and the Customs and Border Protection, along with the FBI. The Justice Department appreciates the cooperation and significant assistance provided by law enforcement partners in the British Virgin Islands, Germany, Lithuania, and Türkiye.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
North Ridgeville Doctor Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – An Ohio doctor has pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy that prescribed medical equipment and lab tests for patients who did not need them and then submitted claims to Medicare to receive payment. Medicare is a federal health benefit program administered under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and most notably covers beneficiaries aged 65 and older.
According to court documents, Timothy Sutton, 43, of North Ridgeville, Ohio, admitted that he and other co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to fraudulently bill more than $14.5 million in payments from Medicare. Sutton was employed by two telemedicine companies; Real Time Physicians, LLC, based in Nevada, and 24 Hour Virtual MD, LLC, based in Florida. The companies provided Sutton with pre-completed orders for durable medical equipment (DME), such as braces, and/or cancer genetic testing (CGX) for him to approve and digitally sign. In doing so, he affirmed that he had examined patients using a telemedicine platform and determined that they needed DME or that CGX testing was necessary. In truth, he never examined any of the patients who resided throughout Ohio and Florida.
Once Sutton prescribed the equipment or ordered testing, Real Time Physicians and 24 Hour Virtual MD furthered the conspiracy by forwarding the orders to companies under their control or sold the orders to other medical entities to provide DME or conduct the lab testing. Sutton defrauded Medicare by submitting claims that were not reasonable and necessary for medical treatment and did not comply with Medicare rules and regulations or applicable federal laws.
On April 4, 2025, Sutton pleaded guilty to attempt and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, false statements related to health care matters, and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 27 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 26, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI Cleveland Division. In the Northern District of Ohio, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Om Kakani and Rebecca Lutzko are prosecuting the case.
About the Northern District of Ohio
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio covers the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, which is home to nearly six million people. The office operates from its main headquarters in Cleveland, with additional branches in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown. The U.S. Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the District and oversees the prosecution of federal crimes and protect victims’ rights.
Executive Director of In-Home Care Business Found Guilty of Failing to Pay Quarterly Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio - A federal jury has convicted Michael Roberts, 38, of Mentor, Ohio, of not paying required employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). After a two-day trial, Roberts was found guilty on two counts of failure to account for and pay over taxes.
According to court documents, Roberts was the executive director and co-owner of Progressive Alternatives, an in-home care business that served individuals with developmental disabilities throughout Lake and Ashtabula Counties. The business was initially purchased by Roberts’s spouse, Larry Keith Gildersleeve III, 43, also of Mentor, in February 2011. Within several years Roberts assumed responsibility for the business’s payroll and day-to-day financial operations, and he assumed the title of co-owner of the business beginning in 2014.
Businesses are required to comply with IRS statutes and regulations such as withholding amounts for Social Security, Medicare taxes, and federal income taxes from employees’ gross pay. Employers typically hold these amounts in trust until they submit payments each quarter as required by federal law by using Form 941, “Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return.”
Investigators found that Progressive Alternatives’ records showed that payroll checks issued by Roberts did reflect appropriate withholdings from employees’ wages. The withholdings were also reflected on W-2 forms that the employees received. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Progressive Alternatives never filed W-2 forms for employees, nor did they submit any Form 941 with quarterly payments.
In late 2017, an employee who was preparing to retire was informed by the Social Security Administration that Progressive Alternatives had not paid required payroll taxes over to the IRS. Although Roberts was made aware of this and taxes were withheld from employee paychecks, he did not submit payments to the IRS. At trial, the defendant was determined to be guilty of not paying taxes for quarters ending Dec. 31, 2017, in the amount of $112,616.50, and March 31, 2018, in the amount of $114,070.75.
Gildersleeve pleaded guilty Oct. 17, 2024, to eight counts of failure to account for and pay over taxes, including the two quarters for which Roberts was also found guilty of failing to pay. The remaining counts included the quarters ending June 30, 2018, in the amount of $114,070.75; Sept. 30, 2018, in the amount of $114,070.75; Dec. 31, 2018, in the amount of $114,070.75; March 31 2019, in the amount of $41,356.00; June 30, 2019, in the amount of $41,356.00; and Sept. 30, 2019, in the amount of $41,356.00.
Roberts’ sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Gildersleeve’s sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2025, and he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine each defendant’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The IRS-Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica D. Barnhill and Brett S. Hammond prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
About the Northern District of Ohio
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio covers the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, which is home to nearly six million people. The office operates from its main headquarters in Cleveland, with additional branches in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown. The U.S. Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the District and oversees the prosecution of federal crimes and protect victims’ rights.
USAO Recognizes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 6-12, 2025Read the Press Release
CLEVELAND – National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 6-12, 2025. The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) is commemorating this important awareness week by highlighting those who have been impacted by crime.
In a September 2024 report, the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs released data from their National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), that indicated that in 2023, the rate of nonfatal violent victimization in the United States was 22.5 victimizations per 1,000 persons ages 12 or older, which was similar to the 2022 rate of 23.5 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons ages 12 or older. Violent victimization includes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault.
The USAO has a special unit dedicated to ensuring that the victims of federal crimes are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect throughout their involvement with the federal criminal justice system. A team of dedicated Victim Assistance Specialists work with those who are recognized as crime victims and make sure that they are notified about case-related matters. Victims are provided with an opportunity to be heard and receive the services and protections provided by federal law. In particular, Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Victim Specialists in the Northern District of Ohio take special care to protect the most vulnerable among us, our senior citizens and our children..
“Our district has a deep commitment to victims from all populations, including our seniors and children. Criminals prey on these populations because they are, or appear to be the most vulnerable among us,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “Our office’s dedicated team of prosecutors serves to bring justice to victims of all federal crimes. We realize that the work we do to hold criminals accountable is of vital importance to those that have suffered at their hands. Whether it’s achieving a sense of safety in their home, their community, or on the internet, our work is an important first step to their healing. That’s why most of us signed up for this job.”
The DOJ’s Elder Justice Initiative combats elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and other scams that target our nation’s senior citizens. Elder fraud schemes take a variety of forms that range from small-scale identity thefts to mass mail fraud schemes that steal money and other assets from thousands of elderly victims. Annually, these fraud schemes bilk seniors out of billions of dollars throughout the country. In recent years, USAO cases related to elder fraud involved more than 360 victims from across the country including seven in the Northern District of Ohio.
Project Safe Childhood is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. The danger of perpetrators who produce, distribute and possess child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also known as child pornography, is equally dramatic and disturbing as it creates a permanent record of the child’s victimization. In 2024, District cases included nearly 30 identified victims under the age of 18 that were discovered during federal investigations. However, because perpetrators share files digitally across the country, the number of CSAM victims can number into the hundreds in some cases.”
To learn more about how to support all victims of crime, visit the Office for Victims of Crime’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.
About the Northern District of Ohio
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio covers the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, which is home to nearly six million people. The office operates from its main headquarters in Cleveland, with additional branches in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown. The U.S. Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the District and oversees the prosecution of federal crimes and protect victims’ rights.
Former Nanny Charged with Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Today, a former Northeast Ohio nanny was charged by criminal complaint with sexual exploitation of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2251(a), and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2252(a)(2).
According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, Molly Duncan, 25, of Beachwood, Ohio, was employed as a nanny and is alleged to have created sexual abuse materials of toddler-aged victims in their Northeast Ohio homes in 2024, and distributed the materials to others in 2024 and 2025. During a search of the defendant’s residence, authorities seized several electronic devices that were found to contain child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography.
If convicted of sexual exploitation of children, Duncan faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to 30 years. If convicted of distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, she faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years, up to 20 years.
This case is being investigated by the Cleveland Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Kane and Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.
Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Cleveland City Council Member Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Basheer Jones, 40, of Cleveland, Ohio, has been sentenced to 28 months in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese, after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud by using his role as a public official for personal financial gain by seeking to defraud multiple community stakeholders out of more than $200,000. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $143,598.47 in restitution to local nonprofits.
According to court documents, from about December 2018 to June 2021, the former Cleveland city councilman for Ward 7 persuaded several local nonprofits to enter into arrangements that benefitted Jones and his romantic partner and co-conspirator. Jones sought and obtained funds from the nonprofits under the guise of working on projects to redevelop Ward 7. Throughout the scheme, he took steps to ensure that his personal connection to his romantic partner, through whom he benefited from these arrangements, was not discovered.
“Mr. Jones used his position to dishonestly line his pockets with tens of thousands of dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “He betrayed the city of Cleveland and its citizens, who elected him to serve as a leader in our community. With his deceptive actions, he also violated federal laws. Anyone who thinks they can use a public office to defraud nonprofits and obtain bribes will face consequences and pay the price for those decisions, and my office will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
The defendant’s schemes worked by convincing nonprofits to make payments toward projects they believed were for Ward 7 revitalization projects, including to buy real estate from purported third parties. Instead, the money went into bank accounts that his romantic partner controlled. Jones then instructed her to divert those funds to herself, to himself, and to others he chose.
Jones also convinced a nonprofit to make payments to an entity controlled by his co-conspiring partner, all while knowing that the funds would flow back to himself. Jones recommended that the nonprofit should hire a consultant for community outreach. Unbeknownst to the nonprofit, the consultant was actually Jones’s romantic partner. She submitted invoices to the unsuspecting nonprofit and was subsequently paid through her consulting business.
Jones later defrauded the same nonprofit out of an additional $50,000, again through his partner’s consulting business. Jones claimed that he needed $50,000 to plan a community event, which included buying backpacks for schoolchildren, and falsely promised that the city would reimburse the organization. Instead, after the funds were paid, no event was held, and Jones again directed his romantic partner to divide the money amongst herself, Jones, and others Jones chose.
“Public corruption at any level of government will not be tolerated. Jones abused his position of trust for personal gain while scheming against the people he was elected to serve, including non-profit entities and well-meaning leaders,” said FBI Cleveland Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Johnston. “Elected officials who demonstrate a reckless disregard for violating the oath they swore to uphold is detestable. Today’s sentence underscores the FBIs commitment to ensuring that those who engage in fraud and corruption will be investigated and held accountable. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to root out corruption and ensure elected officials are serving with honesty, fairness, and integrity.”
Some of the projects Jones pushed included seeking community funding to rehabilitate certain distressed properties while concealing his financial interest in them. In one instance, Jones devised a bribery scheme under which he arranged for co-conspirators, including his romantic partner, to acquire a dilapidated property on Superior Road, and used his position as councilperson to pass ordinances allocating city funds to buy that property from them. Jones arranged for a co-conspirator to buy the property a minimal cost. After asking a nonprofit to purchase and rehabilitate the property, and promising city funding, Jones sponsored an emergency ordinance to fund the nonprofit’s purchase and renovation of the property. When Jones was unable to convince the nonprofit to proceed, he arranged to transfer the property to his romantic partner’s consulting business, with the understanding that she would share the proceeds of the sale with him. After sponsoring another ordinance to reauthorize city funding for the same project, Jones sought to finalize the nonprofit’s purchase of the property from his partner’s entity for $80,000. Ultimately that scheme failed when the nonprofit decided not to proceed with the purchase.
However, Jones and his romantic partner did succeed in obtaining funds for the sale of a different property to another nonprofit. He misled them to believe that he was assisting with the acquisition of the property from the original owner. Instead, he was simultaneously arranging for his partner to acquire the property from the original owner in the name of another business entity, and then immediately to resell it to the nonprofit. Jones and his romantic partner arranged to purchase the property for only $1, promising to pay a $40,500 city demolition bill. But without paying that bill or disclosing it, Jones’s romantic partner immediately re-sold the property to the nonprofit for $45,000.
“Basheer Jones abused his position of trust by deliberately engaging in fraudulent schemes to divert HUD money – funds meant to improve the community— for his own personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). "HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement to investigate and hold accountable bad actors who exploit HUD-funded programs for their own benefit.”
“As an elected official, the crimes Basheer Jones committed are particularly flagrant. He not only stole from nonprofits that serve the local community, he stole from the people of Ward 7, the same citizens that had voted for him to advocate for their best interests on the Cleveland City Council,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd, Cincinnati Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI is committed to holding those accountable who betray the public trust and use municipalities as their personal piggy bank. Status as an elected official does not make you immune from federal prosecution.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Barnhill and Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio.
To report fraud, visit justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint.
Ohio Man Found Guilty of Using His Tax Prep Clients’ Identities to Defraud the Federal Government of Pandemic FundingRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A federal jury has convicted Mustafa Ayoub Diab, 41, of Ravenna, Ohio, of orchestrating a financial conspiracy that defrauded the U.S. government of pandemic benefits. After an approximately week-long trial, Diab was found guilty on 12 counts of theft of government funds, 12 counts of bank fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, 6 counts of aggravated identity theft, and 1 count each of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and to launder monetary instruments.
According to court documents, Diab owned and operated a tax return preparation business in Akron, Ohio. Along with his co-conspirator, Elizabeth Lorraine Robinson, 33, of Ravenna, the couple developed a scheme to take advantage of government programs that expanded unemployment and small business benefits that became available during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One such program, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, was expanded to individuals who otherwise did not qualify for regular benefits. Additionally, the Paycheck Protection Program, was administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration and provided resources and assistance to small businesses to cover payroll, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred which were tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. Diab exploited both of these programs for his benefit.
From around, June 2020 to August 2021, Diab submitted fraudulent applications for pandemic unemployment benefits and small business assistance for many of his tax preparation business clients. Without their knowledge, he lied about their employment, or about being small business owners, on the applications so they would qualify to receive pandemic funds and benefits.
Investigators also discovered that Diab opened bank accounts in his clients’ names to receive the pandemic benefit funds via direct deposit, which the clients did not have access to, along with accounts in the names of Robinson and Diab’s sister. When the pandemic relief funds were deposited into these accounts, he immediately withdrew the funds in cash for his personal use. With the cash, Diab bought real estate, cars and took international trips. In evidence presented to the jury at trial, Diab submitted fraudulent applications in the names of nearly 80 victims, causing the federal government to pay out more than $1.2 million in pandemic benefits that were deposited into the various bank accounts that Diab controlled.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2025. Diab faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Robinson pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud, and theft of government funds in February and is currently awaiting sentencing. She also faces up to 30 years in prison.
The FBI Akron Division investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vanessa V. Healy and Brenna L. Fasko prosecuted that case for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – Joshua Fortson, 37, of Akron, has been sentenced to 29 years in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Sara Lioi after a trial in which a federal jury found him guilty of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was previously convicted of trafficking cocaine in 2009 and of committing sexual battery in 2011.
During this investigation, federal law enforcement officials learned that Fortson received his methamphetamine supply for a number of years from sources in Georgia who were affiliated with members of a gang “La Mara Salvatrucha,” also known as “MS-13.” The defendant paid a driver to transport methamphetamine from Atlanta, Georgia, to Akron, Ohio, while he followed closely behind on the 700-mile trek.
According to court documents, once back in Akron, Fortson would conduct the drug business out of his apartment. He was a known supplier of methamphetamine, as well as other drugs, to various individuals throughout Portage and Summit Counties.
In 2019, while out on supervised released after serving a prison sentence for a separate case, parole officers visited Fortson at his residence and found that he was not in compliance with the terms of his release. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed on Fortson’s residence where authorities discovered $26,275 in cash and a loaded pistol. Various bags containing suspected methamphetamine were found concealed in 18 different chip bags and a breakfast pastry box. A heat sealer was also discovered, and it was learned that it was used to seal the chip bags closed after being filled with drugs. The investigation also determined that Fortson possessed more than seven kilograms of methamphetamine that he intended to sell.
This case was investigated by the DEA Youngstown Field Office, the Streetsboro Police Department, and the Portage County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.
Coventry Township Man Sentenced to more than 10 Years in Prison for Transportation and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – Matthew Lamp, 29, of Coventry Township, Ohio, was sentenced March 11, 2025, by U.S. District Judge David Ruiz to 130 months in prison after he admitted to transporting and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also known as child pornography. He pleaded guilty to transportation of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography. Lamp was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to the victims of the child pornography images he possessed.
According to court documents, in February 2024 during a search warrant execution at the defendant’s residence, federal investigators seized a cellphone and other electronic devices that contained CSAM. During the investigation, it was determined that Lamp possessed more than 2,000 images of CSAM, including prepubescent minors, toddlers, and images involving sadistic or masochistic conduct.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI-Akron Field Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Copley Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – Brandon E. Crawford, 24, of Copley, Ohio, was sentenced March 11, 2025, by U.S. District Judge David Ruiz to 13 years in prison after he admitted to committing child sexual abuse related offenses (CSAM), also known as child pornography. He pleaded guilty to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and register as a sex offender, per the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.
According to court documents, Crawford admitted to receiving and distributing CSAM files from about November 2022 to January 2024. During a search warrant execution, federal investigators seized a cellphone that contained sexually explicit content of children. During the investigation, they found that Crawford used social media applications on his cellphone to trade CSAM with others, including at least one image that involved a minor under the age of 12.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI-Akron Field Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District of Ohio.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Eduardo Lopez-Jiguan, 35, a citizen of Guatemala who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced on March 18, 2025, to 13 months in federal prison for illegal reentry. U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick also imposed a consecutive six-month sentence on a supervised release violation for a total prison sentence of 19 months. Lopez-Jiguan was on supervised release after being convicted in February 2023 of illegal reentry and possession of a fraudulent identification document.
At the guilty plea, Lopez-Jiguan admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Lopez-Jiguan was previously deported in 2020 and 2023. In August 2024, immigration officials learned Lopez-Jiguan had illegally returned to the United States and found him at the Huron County Jail after previously serving a jail sentence for falsification and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ava Rotell Dustin for the Northern District of Ohio.
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 communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Violent Crime Consortium Keeps Public Safety at ForefrontRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium (NOVCC) recently brought together more than 100 regional law enforcement participants, representing more than 20 agencies, to take part in a region-wide initiative to discuss public safety. The annual event is hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio. The District covers the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, which is home to more than 5.7 million people.
The violent crime consortium was established in 2007 through a Department of Justice grant to specifically address violent crime issues in eight Northern Ohio cities: Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Elyria, Lorain, Mansfield, Toledo, and Youngstown.
As the current top federal law enforcement officer for the District, Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik provided welcoming remarks on the importance of the consortium’s work to keep crime off the streets.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Salas Novak, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio.“The Consortium’s purpose is to prevent and reduce violent crime through the use of data-driven and evidence-based technologies,” said Skutnik. “NOVCC enhances our member agencies through skills training on accepted best practices and emerging technologies.”
Subject-matter experts addressed several key topics at this year’s gathering including the importance of inter-agency data sharing and information to combat crime, promising law enforcement practices, and modern policing in the digital age.
The USAO would like to acknowledge and thank the following for attending and participating in this year’s event:
Event speakers representing
- Fordham University
- Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Violence Solutions
- Blacksburg, Virginia Police Department
- Brookhaven, Georgia Police Department
- Research Innovations, Inc.
Law enforcement agencies represented
- Akron Police Department
- Avon Police Department
- The University of Akron Police Department
- Barberton Police Department
- Berea Police Department
- Canton Police Department
- Cleveland Division of Police
- Cuyahoga County Sheriff
- Elyria Police Department
- Lorain Police Department
- Mansfield Police Department
- Maple Heights Police Department
- North Royalton Police Department
- Put-in-Bay Police Department
- Sandusky Police Department
- Toledo Police Department
- Warren Police Department
- Westlake Police Department
- Youngstown Police Department
State agencies
- Ohio Adult Parole Authority
- Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
- Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services
Nonprofit agency
- Partnership for a Safer Cleveland
Federal agencies
- ATF-Cleveland
- FBI-Cleveland
- U.S. Marshals Service-Cleveland
- U.S. Department of Justice-Office of Legal Policy
For more information about the consortium, contact Thomas McCartney at 216-622-3955.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Salas Novak, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio.11 Defendants Sentenced in Connection with Cleveland Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio has announced sentencings in connection with a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that transported suitcases stuffed with illegal drugs from California to Ohio. Eleven defendants were charged with numerous federal crime violations, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, in a superseding indictment on Feb. 22, 2024, with the initial indictment issued on Sept. 20, 2023.
According to court documents, from about May 2021 to about Nov. 29, 2022, the defendants played different roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Jerry Baker, aka Jerry Bogarty, 34, of Cleveland, established a criminal organization primarily active on the city's east side. He led the day-to-day operations of the organization, directing members and associates to generate income by engaging in illegal activities including drug trafficking, extortion, and robbery. Baker determined who was allowed to traffic narcotics on behalf of the enterprise and who was permitted to collect and launder the proceeds. Some enterprise members conspired and attempted to threaten others with acts of violence, including extortion, robbery, and assault, in attempts to collect outstanding debts.
Overall, the DTO received more than 600 pounds of marijuana from a major supplier based in California. Walter Sornoza, 50, of Los Angeles, led a nationwide distribution network that he named “Empire Genetics.” To get the drugs to Cleveland, enterprise associates would fly from California to Ohio and check-in their baggage, which were suitcases filled with packaged marijuana. The drugs would then be delivered to Cleveland-based members of the organization. Baker directed associates to launder the cash profits from the marijuana sales by converting the proceeds into money orders. Another associate was responsible for flying from Cleveland to Los Angeles to hand the money orders and cash over to the Sornoza enterprise as payment for the marijuana supply received.
Baker also purchased a small business in Cleveland, “In & Out Tires,” which served as a hub for members and associates to store and distribute drugs. During the investigation, agents also seized several firearms scattered throughout the business, which were intended to be used for protection of the drug enterprise. Other items recovered included money order receipts, packing materials, suitcases, and other supplies used to transport, store and distribute marijuana.
The defendants were each sentenced to imprisonment and/or probation by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan after pleading guilty to their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy.
- Baker was sentenced to 168 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to launder money, RICO conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute, and distribution, of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, maintaining a drug premise, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.
- Deshaun Martin, 36, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, RICO conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine base (crack), and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment.
- Sornoza was sentenced to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and possession with intent to distribute, and distribution, of marijuana. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.
- Noblys Garcia, aka Flaco, 43, of Studio City, California, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, distribution of marijuana, and possession with intent to distribute, and distribution, of marijuana. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.
- Sidne Spencer, 28, of North Hollywood, California, was sentenced to two years of probation for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and marijuana.
- Keveon Lewis, 44, of Corona, California, was sentenced to six months in prison and six months location monitoring for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of marijuana. He was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release after imprisonment.
- Moniqka Hazzard, 32, of Riverside, California, was sentenced to 30 days in prison and seven months location monitoring for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. She was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
- Jerry Baker Sr., 55, of Cleveland, was sentenced to three years of probation for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and for maintaining a drug premise.
- Antonio Lanier, 35, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and RICO conspiracy. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
- Herman Wilson, 43, of Katy, Texas, was sentenced to two years of probation for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
- Ajeremiah Baker, aka AJ, 20, of Garfield Heights, Ohio, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for RICO conspiracy. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), along with task force officers from numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police. Prosecutions are led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, IRS Criminal Investigation, ATF Cleveland Division, U.S. Marshals Service Cleveland, the Cleveland Division of Police, and the Los Angeles Police Department Narcotics Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret A. Sweeney for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Brian Lynch of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Immigration Violation Charges for the Northern District of OhioRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments for the following individuals on charges of immigration law violations. These are separate and unrelated cases filed during the months of January and February 2025.
Yeixon Brito-Gonzalez, aka Yiexon Maikenedy Brito-Gonzalez, 21, a citizen of Venezuela, was indicted on two counts of possession of a fraudulent identification document. He possessed counterfeit Legal Permanent Resident and Social Security cards. Brito-Gonzalez was arrested Jan. 30, 2025, in Sandusky, Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Sandusky Bay Station.
Juan A. Cabrera-Claros, 42, a citizen of El Salvador, was indicted on one charge of illegal re-entry into the United States. He has been previously removed three times: July 13, 2011; Nov. 23, 2011; and Feb. 22, 2013. Cabrera-Claros was arrested Feb. 15, 2025, in South Euclid, Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Mardoqueo Hernandez-Gomez, aka, Gabino Toj-Chac, 31, a citizen of Guatemala, was indicted on one charge of making a false claim of citizenship to obtain a federal or state benefit, and one count of misuse of a Social Security number. On April 17, 2023, the defendant is alleged to have attempted to obtain an Ohio Driver’s License by providing a Social Security card issued to another individual. Hernandez-Gomez was arrested Jan. 16, 2025, in the state of Kansas. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP Sandusky Bay Station.
Angel Baltazar Lux-Santay, 32, a citizen of Guatemala, was indicted on one charge of illegal re-entry into the United States after having previously been removed on Sept. 12, 2019 and Jan. 20, 2020. Lux-Santay was arrested in Ashland County, Ohio, on Feb. 2, 2025. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE.
Jorge Marrero-Padilla, 36, a citizen of Mexico, was indicted on one charge of illegal re-entry into the United States. He has been previously removed four times: July 9, 2008; June 29, 2010; Nov. 13, 2010; and Dec. 26, 2012. Marrero-Padilla was arrested in Painesville, Ohio, on Jan. 15, 2025. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE.
Raul Montes-Rodriguez, 52, a citizen of Mexico, was indicted on one charge of illegal re-entry into the United States after having been removed twice from the U.S. on Jan. 21, 2014 and April 23, 2013. Montes-Rodriguez was arrested Jan. 29, 2025 in Lorain, Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP Sandusky Bay Station.
Alando Roach, 24, a citizen of Jamaica, was charged with being an undocumented alien in possession of a firearm. Roach was arrested March 3, 2025, in Youngstown, Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and ICE.
Mariano Tomas-Aguilar, 44, a citizen of Guatemala, was indicted on one charge of illegal re-entry into the United States. He was previously removed from the U.S. five times: Aug. 14, 2008; Sept. 8, 2009; Oct. 26, 2018; Feb. 19, 2019; and March 12, 2020. Tomas-Aguilar was arrested Dec. 9, 2024, in Eastlake, Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
A team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the USAO’s criminal division are prosecuting these cases.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Toledo Man Convicted of Sexual Offenses Against a MinorRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted an Ohio man of attempting to entice and coerce a minor into illegal sexual activity and attempted production of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography. Derran Reebel, 52, of Toledo, was found guilty of committing criminal offenses that violate federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, from Oct. 10-15, 2020, Reebel used a social media application to communicate with a minor, namely, an undercover agent purporting to be a 14-year old girl. Evidence presented at trial to the jury included the defendant’s sexually explicit communications which were sent through the app’s messaging function in repeated attempts to persuade the minor into sending him sexually explicit photos and commit sexual acts.
In November 2024, Reebel was convicted of receiving and distributing CSAM, for nearly eight years, from about Jan. 1, 2014 through Aug. 17, 2022. During a federal search warrant execution of his residence, investigators found numerous CSAM items that included visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his possession. Law enforcement officials also discovered that Reebel used social media for a number of years to chat with minors and send them sexually explicit messages and photos of himself.
Sentencing for both convictions has not yet been scheduled. Reebel faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI-Toledo. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of the Justice Department’s “Project Safe Childhood,” a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the initiative marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, visit justice.gov/psc.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Former Pharmacy Tech is Sentenced for Using His Role to Order Drugs for Unlawful DistributionRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Curtis Green, 35, of Cleveland, has been sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, between Dec. 30, 2022 and April 9, 2023, the defendant used his position as a certified pharmacy technician for a hospital in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, to order controlled substances during the course of his employment. Under the guise of ordering on behalf of the hospital, he ordered them for his own unlawful distribution. During this time, Green was found to possess 103 grams of oxycodone and 77.5 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, all schedule II controlled substances.
During a federal search warrant execution of Green’s residence on April 9, 2023, agents seized $72,880 in cash. An additional $2,025 was seized from the defendant on the following day.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mayfield Heights Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Sweeney.
Cleveland Man Pleads Guilty to Driving to New York to Sexually Exploit 14-year Old GirlRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – David P. Greulich, 61, of Cleveland, has pleaded guilty to driving more than 400 miles across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, to child exploitation, to transporting visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography.
According to court documents, in February 2024, Greulich started communicating with a 14-year old victim living in Jefferson County, New York, on the Snapchat cellphone application. After chatting through the app’s messaging function for several weeks, the defendant drove from his home in Cleveland to New York and picked up the victim from her home on April 20, 2024. He then took her to a hotel where he kept her for two days while he violently and sexually abused her which he recorded on a digital device. Greulich drove across state lines from Ohio to New York a second time on May 11, 2024, to again engage in illicit sexual conduct with the same victim. He took video and photographs of the victim which he later emailed to himself.
During a federal search warrant execution of Greulich’s home in Cleveland, investigators obtained several electronic devices which were found to contain CSAM, including a cellphone with more than 100 images of the victim by herself as well as with the defendant. Upon further investigation, an additional 14 sexually explicit video files of the victim were found in his personal cloud storage account.
Sentencing has been scheduled for June 23, 2025. The maximum sentence varies per count. The defendant faces a maximum combined term of imprisonment of 180 years.
A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Cleveland Office, with assistance from the Jefferson County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Segev Phillips.
Two Venezuelan Nationals Charged with Possession of Fraudulent Permanent Resident and Social Security CardsRead the Press Release
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged two people from Venezuela with fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents.
Dicla Emirlania Perez Rodriguez, 33, and Emileth Noheni Briceno Rodriguez, 39, both citizens of Venezuela, were found to possess fraudulent permanent resident cards, also known as green cards.
According to court documents, on Feb. 17, 2025, the two women had been traveling with others and were discovered asleep in a parked vehicle outside a convenience store in Warren, Ohio. Warren City Police Officers were dispatched to the store after an employee could not awaken anyone in the vehicle. While on the scene, officers discovered that the vehicle registration plate did not match the vehicle, nor was the registered owner with the vehicle. Officers brought the two women, and the others in the vehicle, to the police station for questioning where a Spanish translator could facilitate communication with the defendants.
Upon further investigation, a database query on the number that appeared on a permanent resident card possessed by Briceno Rodriguez was linked to a Chinese national. A query on the permanent resident card possessed by Perez Rodriguez was found to be linked to a Cuban national.
Additionally, both defendants possessed Social Security cards in their names. However, upon further inspection, the numbers listed on each card were, in fact, issued to other individuals whose names did not appear on the cards.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Warren City Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.
Guatemalan National Previously Convicted of Sexual Offense Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a Guatemalan national of illegally re-entering the United States. Baudilio Ramos, 65, a citizen of Guatemala, was found to be living in Youngstown, Ohio.
According to court documents, Ramos originally came to the U.S. in 1990 on a commercial visa. In 2013, in the county of Rockland New York, he was convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree and endangering the welfare of a child. After serving a prison term, he was deported from the U.S and returned to Guatemala. The defendant stated that he later paid $3,000 to a “coyote,” a slang term for a human smuggler, who arranged to take him from Mexico into Texas. A second smuggler took him from Houston to New York state. He then relocated to the Youngstown area where he has been living for about the last two years. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Ramos was not registered with the Mahoning County Sex Offender Registry.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.
Texas Man Formerly Employed by Ohio Company Convicted of Damaging Source Code and Deleting DataRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND — A federal jury in Cleveland convicted a Texas man today for writing and deploying malicious code on his former employer’s network.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Davis Lu, 55, of Houston, was employed as a software developer for the victim company headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, from November 2007 to October 2019.
Following a 2018 corporate realignment that reduced his responsibilities and system access, Lu began sabotaging his employer’s systems. By Aug. 4, 2019, he introduced malicious code that caused system crashes and prevented user logins. Specifically, he created “infinite loops” (in this case, code designed to exhaust Java threads by repeatedly creating new threads without proper termination and resulting in server crashes or hangs), deleted coworker profile files, and implemented a “kill switch” that would lock out all users if his credentials in the company’s active directory were disabled. The “kill switch” code — which Lu named “IsDLEnabledinAD”, abbreviating “Is Davis Lu enabled in Active Directory” — was automatically activated upon his termination on Sept. 9, 2019, and impacted thousands of company users globally. Lu named other code “Hakai,” a Japanese word meaning “destruction,” and “HunShui,” a Chinese word meaning “sleep” or “lethargy.”
Additionally, on the day he was directed to turn in his company laptop, Lu deleted encrypted data. His internet search history revealed he had researched methods to escalate privileges, hide processes, and rapidly delete files, indicating an intent to obstruct efforts of his co-workers to resolve the system disruptions. Lu’s employer suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses as a result of Lu’s actions.
“Mr. Lu was calculating in his intent to inflict damage to a company that provides products and services to businesses and organizations that span a variety of industries and fields,” said Acting United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. “Together with our colleagues from the Criminal Division and the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute those who intend to disrupt business operations, especially, if it has the potential to inflict greater harm on national and international levels. We will hold perpetrators accountable and pursue justice against vindictive employees who break federal laws.”
“Sadly, Davis Lu used his education, experience, and skill to purposely harm and hinder not only his employer and their ability to safely conduct business, but also stifle thousands of users worldwide,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI and its cadre of exceptionally qualified agents and analysts will continue to identify, find, and investigate individuals who seek to carry out deliberate and destructive actions against businesses or organizations for retaliatory or malicious purposes.”
The jury convicted Lu of causing intentional damage to protected computers, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. 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 FBI Cleveland Division investigated the case.
Senior Counsel Candina S. Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Riedl and Brian S. Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Texas Man Convicted of Sabotaging his Employer’s Computer Systems and Deleting DataRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Cleveland convicted a Texas man today for writing and deploying malicious code on his former employer’s network.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Davis Lu, 55, of Houston, was employed as a software developer for the victim company headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, from November 2007 to October 2019. Following a 2018 corporate realignment that reduced his responsibilities and system access, Lu began sabotaging his employer’s systems. By Aug. 4, 2019, he introduced malicious code that caused system crashes and prevented user logins. Specifically, he created “infinite loops” (in this case, code designed to exhaust Java threads by repeatedly creating new threads without proper termination and resulting in server crashes or hangs), deleted coworker profile files, and implemented a “kill switch” that would lock out all users if his credentials in the company’s active directory were disabled. The “kill switch” code — which Lu named “IsDLEnabledinAD”, abbreviating “Is Davis Lu enabled in Active Directory” — was automatically activated upon his termination on Sept. 9, 2019, and impacted thousands of company users globally. Lu named other code “Hakai,” a Japanese word meaning “destruction,” and “HunShui,” a Chinese word meaning “sleep” or “lethargy.” Additionally, on the day he was directed to turn in his company laptop, Lu deleted encrypted data. His internet search history revealed he had researched methods to escalate privileges, hide processes, and rapidly delete files, indicating an intent to obstruct efforts of his co-workers to resolve the system disruptions. Lu’s employer suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses as a result of Lu’s actions.
The jury convicted Lu of causing intentional damage to protected computers, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. 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.
Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio, and Special Agent in Charge Gregory D. Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Cleveland Field Office investigated the case.
Senior Counsel Candina S. Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Riedl and Brian S. Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Two Brothers from Youngstown, Ohio, Each Sentenced to at Least a Decade in Prison for Participation in Interstate Cocaine Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Two Youngstown, Ohio, residents were sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh on February 26, 2025, for their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and related firearms and drug trafficking charges, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendants were among 17 individuals from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; and Youngstown, Ohio, indicted in March 2024 for violating federal narcotics, firearms, and racketeering laws by conspiring to distribute cocaine throughout Western Pennsylvania and Youngstown (read the Indictment news release here).
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentences on brothers Ruben Noel Sanchez, 29, and Rubel Sanchez, 22. Ruben was sentenced to a total of 13 years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, with the latter two charges having been filed by Information in the Northern District of Ohio. Rubel was sentenced to 10 years of prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to information presented to the Court, the Sanchez brothers were part of an organized drug trafficking group that shipped kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico, often mailing drug parcels through the U.S. Postal Service to co-conspirators responsible for selling the cocaine in Western Pennsylvania; Youngstown, Ohio; and elsewhere. This included the Sanchez brothers receiving kilograms of cocaine directly through the mail as well as receiving and paying for cocaine that was shipped to Philadelphia and then transported across Pennsylvania to Youngstown, Ohio. Upon receipt of the cocaine, the brothers and their co-conspirators distributed the drugs to customers and multiple other co-conspirators, who then distributed the cocaine in Youngstown, Ohio, and throughout Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.
In March 2024, investigators executed a federal search warrant at a Youngstown residence utilized by the brothers in connection with their drug distribution operations, where investigators seized three Glock pistols—including one equipped with a machinegun conversion device known as a Glock switch and another loaded with ammunition; three unattached Glock switches; assorted ammunition; baggies of powder and pills that included separate mixtures and substances containing 1) fentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine, 2) fentanyl and xylazine, 3) cocaine, 4) fentanyl, 5) methamphetamine, and 6) heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine; a kilo press plate used in connection with the packaging and distribution of large quantities of powdered controlled substances; and the brothers’ cell phones. Evidence, including from these cell phones and other surveillance, established that the brothers knowingly possessed the drugs with the intent to distribute them and possessed the firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking. The brothers each were responsible for distributing and/or possessing with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine, at least 40 grams of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Drug Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service, as well as the New Castle Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and United States Department of Agriculture for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sanchez brothers.
Lawrence County is one of six Western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Ohio Woman Loses Life Savings in Cryptocurrency Investment ScamRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio (USAO) has filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against 8,207,578 Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, valued at more than $8.2 million. USDT is a virtual currency which are digital tokens of value circulated over the internet. Its transactions are publicly recorded on what is known as a blockchain.
According to court documents, the FBI has identified 33 victims of an investment fraud scheme across the country, including a victim from Northeast Ohio residing in the city of Mentor. In total, victims lost approximately $4.9 million. Five more accounts have also been found to be affected and the FBI is attempting to identify the respective owners. The victims associated with the additional accounts have lost approximately $1,071,086.
Investigators found that scammers initially contacted the victims through seemingly misdirected, or “wrong number,” text messages. The fraudster then gained the victim’s trust and affection using various manipulative tactics. Once trust was established with the victim, the fraudster would share how much success they, or someone they knew, had with investing in cryptocurrency. This personal testimonial lessened any uncertainties the victims may have had about virtual currencies and eventually had the intended effect to persuade the victim to proceed with the investment.
The fraudster would then guide the victim, step-by-step, on how to open a legitimate cryptocurrency account, most often with a U.S. based virtual currency exchange such as Crypto.com or Coinbase. The scammer would walk the victim through the entire process of transferring money from their bank to the newly created cryptocurrency account. Next, the victim received instructions on how to transfer the purchased cryptocurrency assets to an online “investment platform,” which would turn out to be a fake site created by the fraudsters to look like a legitimate company. Information on the platforms promised lucrative returns which encouraged victims to invest further. However, once the victim transferred their funds to the “investment platform” they unknowingly handed over complete control and ownership of their funds to the scammer.
The complaint also outlines that the perpetrators of such investment fraud schemes often allow victims to withdraw a portion of their “profits” early on in the scheme to build trust and reinforce their belief that the “investment platform” was legitimate. But as the scheme progressed, victims were unable to withdraw their funds and given excuses as to why they could not access their funds. For example, the fraudsters referred to a fake “tax” requirement, stating that taxes must be paid on the proceeds generated from the investment platform. Knowing that the scam would run its course soon, the fraudsters used last-ditch efforts to lie to victims that they had to pay a tax. Ultimately, victims were locked out of their account on the investment platform and lost their funds.
A woman in Lake County, Ohio became the target of such a scam when she responded to a text on her phone from an unknown number in November 2023. She began sharing information via text with the person and the two bonded over topics such as hobbies and religion. Over a period of time, the victim followed instructions from her new “friend” and opened an account at Crypto.com and then transferred funds into the account. When the victim wanted to withdraw funds, her “friend,” relented and said additional payments were needed and she complied. When the victim no longer had any funds left after making additional payments, her “friend” began to threaten her that he would send his friends to “take care of” her friends and family. Having lost her entire life savings of approximately $663,352, including funds from her Roth IRA, the victim filed a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center to report the losses in June 2024. The FBI Cleveland Division subsequently initiated an investigation.
Investigators conducted a blockchain analysis and determined that a portion of the funds stolen from victims were converted to USDT cryptocurrency and placed into three cryptocurrency addresses. Law enforcement officers executed a federal seizure warrant to recover 8,207,578 USDT tokens, in November 2024. Tether Limited then transferred these funds to a law-enforcement-controlled virtual currency wallet.
By the Complaint in Forfeiture filed on Feb. 27, 2025, the United States seeks to forfeit the entire 8,207,578 USDT cryptocurrency. In the complaint, the United States alleges that the cryptocurrency accounts also contained additional funds above the victims’ traceable losses and, as proceeds of fraud, are also subject to forfeiture. Additionally, the complaint alleges that such other funds were involved in money laundering violations.
The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only, and the United States must prove these allegations by a preponderance of the evidence at trial.
If successful in this forfeiture action, the United States would seek to return the stolen funds to the victims.
The FBI Cleveland Division is actively investigating cryptocurrency fraud schemes perpetrated on victims throughout the United States, including in the Northern District of Ohio. The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant United States Attorney James L. Morford. The USAO would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in this matter.
If you observe something that you believe might be fraudulent conduct involving an older adult, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov to report it.
View Complaint:
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4340000_tether_et_al_complaint.pdf 4340000_tether_et_al_complaint.pdfOhio Man Charged with Smuggling Body Armor from China to Sell to Law Enforcement Customers as American MadeRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Vall Iliev, 69, of Stow, Ohio, has been charged in a three-count information with smuggling foreign-made body armor and then selling it to law enforcement agencies and others, as legitimate, domestically-made certified products. From around 2017 to October 2023, the defendant allegedly imported body armor from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and sold it under claims of being made in the United States and bearing a falsified trademarked label. Body armor is commonly used by those in law enforcement and other agencies for protection from ballistic threats to the torso area.
According to court documents, in May 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Blaine, Washington port of entry (POE) intercepted a Canadian-registered truck found to be carrying more than 200 ballistic body armor plates in boxes marked with the PRC as the origin. Cargo inspectors were unable to determine the manufacturer’s name. The plates were concealed in pre-packaged boxes within a larger shipping container which is a technique known as “Master Carton Smuggling” and typically used in attempts to evade detection by POE officials. The hidden boxes of the unmanifested cargo were pre-labeled and addressed to a business in Stow, Vallmar Studios, which Iliev owned and operated. Investigators found that Vallmar’s business location was used as a warehouse to process the PRC-manufactured body armor before selling to the public through a second business, ShotStop Ballistics, which Iliev also owned and operated in Stow.
ShotStop Ballistics conducted business through its website and sold body armor to the public and law enforcement agencies across the country. The company marketed their Level III and Level IV body armor as “Made in Stow, Ohio” and “NIJ Certified.” The National Institute of Justice, or NIJ, is the research, development, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which has published performance standards for ballistic-resistant police body armor for more than 50 years. It utilizes a standard process by which rounds of ammunition are fired at a distance to certify body armor along a range of established threat levels. Manufacturers and distributors are permitted to use the NIJ trademarked symbol that indicates that the product meets its established standards for protection.
However, inspectors who examined the intercepted body armor originating from the PRC, found that none of the items were shipped with related documentation that stated that the product met standards for NIJ certification. The seized ballistic plates were sent to Oregon Ballistic Laboratories for testing, which is one of five approved NIJ certified facilities in the United States. The final test results report from the laboratory showed that the panels failed to meet NIJ standards for Level III certification. Test failure for Level III indicates that the same plates would not have passed the more rigorous testing required for Level IV.
Throughout the course of the years-long conspiracy, Iliev worked with a PRC broker company to find inexpensive manufacturers to make Level III and Level IV body armor. Once orders were placed, manufacturers were directed to ship the items to the defendant’s Vallmar business. When the PRC shipments arrived at the Summit County business, the defendant instructed employees to affix labels to the body armor plates stating “NIJ Certified” and “Made in Stow, Ohio” before going on sale to the public, to law enforcement departments, and to other agencies that rely on ballistic-resistant body armor for protection.
Investigators found thousands of Chinese-produced body armor plates at Vallmar and ShotStop, which served as warehouses to receive, but had no means of producing, Level III or Level IV body armor. The ShotStop location housed a laser printer which was used to print the fake DOJ certification labels that Iliev’s employees were instructed to place on the sub-standard body armor before selling and shipping to customers.
Investigators also found marketing videos produced by Iliev which he used to advertise the body armor products he sold with claims of being manufactured in Ohio and certified by the NIJ. The NIJ certification labels included fictitious “patent pending” on some products such as “Level III+” and “Level IV+HD” certified, which are non-existent designations.
Although Iliev’s companies initially obtained and held valid NIJ certifications, he never sought to confirm through NIJ-certified testing that the body armor quality he imported through co-conspiring Chinese business associates met NIJ performance standards for ballistic resistance. These standards are crucial for buyers to make informed purchases about a product’s safety levels.
These charges are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial. It will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland Office alongside the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Duncan T. Brown for the Northern District of Ohio.
If you have purchased ShotStop Ballistics body armor from 2018 onward, for product safety reasons, HSI recommends discontinuing use. For those who purchased items in question from ShotStop Ballistics, please email a copy of your invoice to [email protected] with “ShotStop Invoice” in the subject line no later than Monday, April 7, 2025.
USAO Announces Sentencings in Connection with Violent Crime Reduction InitiativeRead the Press Release
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Acting United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio has announced sentencings for several defendants who were charged in connection with a 2023 violent crime reduction initiative. The initiative was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to focus on the reduction of gun-crime violence.
Malachi Berry, 22, Darvell Jackson, 21, Steven Armstrong, 20, Nimar Linder, 22, Terrez Wilson, 20, Maurice Hardman, 20, all of Cleveland, and Brandon Kimbrough, 24, of Euclid, were each sentenced to imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson after pleading guilty for their roles in a firearms-trafficking conspiracy. Each defendant’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
Malachi Berry was sentenced to 89 months in prison for conspiracy to possess machineguns and conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license. According to court documents, he was responsible for arranging the sales of 13 firearms, including ones that were reported stolen and had the serial numbers obliterated. Some of the items intended to be trafficked included machineguns. Berry brokered the firearms sales by recruiting others to sell them after he negotiated the prices.
Darvell Jackson was sentenced to 168 months in prison for conspiracy to possess a machinegun, conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. According to court documents, he sold seven firearms, including at least one stolen firearm and one firearm with an obliterated serial number, some with high-capacity magazines, and four machinegun conversion devices.
Nimar Linder was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Linder, a convicted felon, possessed and sold five firearms, including multi-caliber pistols with high-capacity magazines and a pistol with an obliterated serial number.
Terrez Wilson was sentenced to 26 months in prison for possession of a machinegun. According to court documents, he sold a Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber pistol with a machinegun conversion device knowing that the firearm was intended to be trafficked.
Maurice Hardman was sentenced to 33 months in prison for possession of a machinegun and conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license. According to court documents, he sold a Glock, Model 32Gen4, .357 caliber Sig-pistol with an affixed machinegun conversion device. In a separate transaction, Hardman sold a Glock, Model 19Gen5, 9mm pistol.
Brandon Kimbrough was sentenced to 29 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Kimbrough, a convicted felon, possessed and sold a Taurus, Model G3, and a 9mm pistol with a high-capacity magazine.
Steven Armstrong was sentenced to 26 months in prison for possession of a machinegun. According to court documents, he admitted he could acquire “buttons,” a term used for machinegun conversion devices, and “ghost Glocks,” a term used for privately made, unserialized firearms. Armstrong also sold a machinegun conversion device.
The investigation preceding the indictment was led by the ATF, with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI Cleveland Division, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, the Ohio Investigative Unit, Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Division, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office. This operation was also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Galvin and David Toepfer.
Superseding Indictment Charges Two Brothers and a City Mayor’s Assistant with Tax Fraud, Public Corruption, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury returned a 32-count superseding indictment charging Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq Al Zubair, 42, recently of Bratenahl, Ohio, his brother Muzzammil Muhammad Al Zubair, 31, recently of Pepper Pike, Ohio, and their associate Michael Leon Smedley, 56, of Cleveland, with multiple fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, and public corruption schemes. The initial 22-count indictment was issued Jan. 24, 2024.
All three defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and Hobbs Act conspiracy. The Al Zubair brothers were both charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, four counts of money laundering, theft of government funds, and aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Zubair Al Zubair was also charged with harboring a fugitive and willful failure to file a tax return.
According to court documents, from June 2020 through August 2023, the Al Zubair brothers allegedly employed several deceptive strategies to obtain money and property from victims. Their schemes involved investment fraud, a Small Business Administration COVID-19 relief Emergency Income Disaster Loan, cryptocurrency mining, and commercial and residential real estate transactions.
One scheme was international in scope and involved military munitions. After the Al Zubair brothers found a buyer who was looking to purchase military-grade weapons, they made contact with individuals in Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and New York about finding sources to supply the munitions their buyer was seeking. The true intent was not the actual sale of the munitions, but rather to convince the purchaser to transfer a commission to the brothers for arranging the transaction.
The Al Zubair brothers’ ill-gotten proceeds allowed them to acquire a trove of jewelry, luxury timepieces and vehicles, as well as more than 80 firearms. Zubair Al Zubair also leased a high-end residential property in Bratenahl, Ohio, before being evicted in August 2023.
The superseding indictment alleges that the two made exorbitant claims about their extraordinary wealth and government connections. Zubair Al Zubair said he was a member of the royal family of the United Arab Emirates through his marriage to a princess. His brother, Muzzammil, claimed to be a hedge fund manager. According to the superseding indictment, he was not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or as a broker with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and his only education on hedge funds came from watching YouTube videos. Using the illusion of being extremely educated, successful, and well-connected, the brothers befriended a public official employed with the city of East Cleveland to help them to carry out their elaborate and deceptive plots.
As the chief of staff and executive assistant to the mayor of East Cleveland, Smedley allegedly used his position to help navigate red-tape bureaucracy and obtain specific outcomes for the Al Zubair brothers in return for things of value including checks, food and meals at high-end restaurants, and offers of future employment. For example, Smedley secured official letters on city letterhead to sway administrative and judicial proceedings, helped obtain appointment of Zubair Al Zubair as an International Economic Advisor to the city, obtained city business cards in Zubair Al Zubair’s name, and even provided the brothers with City of East Cleveland Police Badges.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of actors unique to this case. These include each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and the IRS−Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Shepherd and Om Kakani for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ohio Woman Sentenced to Prison for Insurance Claim FraudRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Angela Frase, 60, of Sterling, Ohio, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty to four counts of mail fraud for accepting insurance checks after she knowingly submitted false claims. Frase was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $327,072.
Frase pleaded guilty to devising a scheme that took place from July 2 to Aug. 23, 2019, to defraud a homeowner’s insurance company. According to court documents, the scheme began when Frase called fire emergency services on July 2, 2019, and again on July 3, 2019, to report a fire in her home. Fire marshals were unable to determine the cause of the fire at the time. The insurance company then housed Frase and her husband at an extended stay hotel. An investigation later conducted by insurance company experts determined no evidence of electrical failure as the cause of the fire.
On the morning of Aug. 6, 2019, the fire department responded to a natural gas leak at the Frase residence. Home remodeling employees entered the home to work on the damage caused by the fire but were forced to evacuate due to the strong smell of natural gas. The fire marshal later determined that the stove was turned on, filling the residence with explosive-causing levels of natural gas. Frase and her husband were the last people in the home prior to the discovery of gas and claimed to have locked the doors. There was no sign of forced entry.
On Aug. 6, 2019, at approximately 10:43 p.m., Frase left her extended stay hotel room, drove to her home on Spruce Street in Seville, Ohio, and started a fire. Investigators later learned through her cellphone location data that she remained in the area of her home from 10:54 p.m. until 11:39 p.m. and then returned to her hotel room. On Aug. 7, 2019, at approximately 12:36 a.m., the Sterling Fire Department and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home in reference to a fire and explosion. The Ohio State Fire Marshal later determined the cause of the fire was incendiary in nature. In addition to starting the fire, Frase spray-painted what appeared to be racial disparities on her own garage and vandalized her neighbor’s vehicle.
On Aug. 11, 2019, between 9:30 and 10 p.m., Frase returned to her home and again spray-painted hate speech on her own garage. When a sheriff’s deputy responded and discovered the words, Frase told the deputy that she saw two suspicious individuals running through the field behind her property. Three days later, on Aug. 14, Frase called authorities again after she placed a stuffed doll painted black with a noose tied around its neck in her own mailbox. On Aug. 23, she once again contacted law enforcement to report that she found an envelope at her residence while walking around the property that had a racial slur written on it and inside was a plastic bag filled with an unknown white substance and the word “die.”
From Nov. 1, 2019 to June 17, 2020, the insurance company mailed four checks to Frase for property losses and damages which she accepted. She was later charged with four counts of mail fraud for attempting to swindle money from the homeowner’s insurance company through intentionally deceptive actions.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and Ohio’s Division of State Fire Marshal. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.
Twenty Defendants Indicted in Akron Drug Trafficking and Firearms ConspiracyRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A 51-count superseding indictment was unsealed today charging 17 Ohio residents of operating a large-scale drug trafficking scheme based in Akron. The Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) is alleged to be responsible for trafficking distribution quantities of controlled substances in the Summit County, Ohio area including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as Alprazolam, which is more commonly known under the brand name Xanax. Three other defendants were indicted separately for their involvement in the conspiracy.
According to court documents, the investigation that led to the indictment began in December 2023 and continued to around August 2024. The alleged leader, Joe Nathan Sanders-Taylor, 41, of Akron, was believed to be the center of the DTO that distributed illegal drugs throughout Northeast Ohio. He was regularly supplied by co-conspirators who funneled drug inventory from sources connected to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG or Jalisco Cartel). Sanders-Taylor developed a drug distribution process that employed a number of individuals to serve as drug dealers throughout the Northeast Ohio region.
Court documents show that Sanders-Taylor used a network of associates to re-sell the drugs, assist with financial transactions, or act as lookouts while drug deals took place. Several co-defendants and other members of the conspiracy maintained and used residences in Summit County, Ohio, to store and distribute their drug supplies, or to manufacture controlled substances. Members of the conspiracy also possessed firearms to further their illegal business activities and protect their drug inventory.
Sanders-Taylor was arrested on June 10, 2024, after he engaged in a pursuit by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Interstate 77 in Summit County. As he fled from police, he threw two loaded firearms with high-capacity magazines from the vehicle. Sanders-Taylor crashed the vehicle and then fled on foot and attempted to carjack two separate vehicles with people still inside. Sanders-Taylor was later discovered to have prior federal convictions which prohibits him from possessing firearms. Further investigation of the incident determined that he also possessed distribution amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The remaining defendants were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests.
The superseding indictment charges the following 17 defendants:
- Joe Nathan Sanders-Taylor, aka Red, 41, Akron
- Brooke Marie Logan, aka Bee, 29, Akron
- Tyrell Jerome Jennings, aka 50, 35, Cleveland
- Christopher Michael Andrews, aka Blondy, 28, Akron
- Crystal Marie Harris, 50, Akron
- Ronald Oscar Clark, 58, Akron
- Chelsey Marie Connelly, 35, Akron
- Angela Grace Wade, 47, Akron
- Demardre Leshawn Johnson, aka Icey, 37, Akron
- Denetris Condra May, aka D-May, aka Mayday, 38, Akron
- John P. Burton, 41, Akron
- Brian Keith Hinkle, aka Hizzle, 38, Akron
- Joshua Lee Hackney, aka Country, 38, Akron
- Matthew Dion Inman, 54, Akron
- Thomas Franklin Casanova, 27, Akron
- Donnie Keith Eugene Schaffer, 30, Akron
- Julia Francesca Stavole-Habimana, 26, Richfield
The superseding indictment alleges that the defendants did unlawfully, knowingly, and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, all Schedule II controlled substances, and Alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance.
In addition, three other defendants involved with this drug trafficking and firearms conspiracy were charged in a separate superseding indictment:
- Robert Parham, 54, Akron
- Laverne Fortson, 50, Akron
- Jeffery Goldbach, 54, Ravenna
According to court documents, in July 2024, Parham had 28 firearms, which included a machine gun, distribution amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in his possession at his apartment in Akron. Fortson and Goldbach also possessed distribution amounts of narcotics at their residences.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the superseding indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI Akron Field Office, with assistance from the Akron Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Girard Police Department, Barberton Police Department, Liberty Police Department, and the University of Akron Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Gary Matthew Hughes, 36, of Piqua, Ohio, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after pleading guilty to coercion or enticement of a minor. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $114,000 in restitution.
From about September to October 2023, Hughes communicated with a purported seven-year-old daughter of an undercover agent. He admitted that his intent was to engage in sexual activity with the girl. During the investigation, agents also found multiple files of child sexual abuse materials on his personal cellphone.
The case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report child sexual abuse, please visit www.cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - Conner Matthew Walker, 21, of Rocky River, Ohio, was sentenced to 35 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), and one count of possession of child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment.
Walker admitted to harming his victims and recording the sexual abuse on his cellphone from September 2023 through January 2024. He connected with an 11-year-old victim through a children’s app and coerced her to send him sexually explicit photos. Two additional victims were identified as toddlers at a home daycare in Parma Heights, Ohio, where Walker resided occasionally. He further exploited his young victims when he uploaded and shared the content he produced to social media chat forums. Investigators searched Walker’s cellphone and discovered he possessed more than 1,000 additional CSAM images and videos.
The case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District of Ohio.
To report child sexual abuse, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Wisconsin Man Indicted for Selling and Smuggling Firearms to Buyers in Saudi ArabiaRead the Press Release
A six-count indictment was unsealed today charging Mark John Buschman, 60, of Viroqua, Wisconsin, for allegedly selling firearms and related parts without a license to buyers in Saudi Arabia, shipping the prohibited items, and then lying to federal inspectors about it.
According to the indictment, Buschman allegedly conducted an illegal export conspiracy for more than five years, lasting from about February 2019 to about December 2024. Buschman obtained firearms and firearms parts in the U.S. and advertised the items for sale on eBay and other online marketplace-style websites. When buyers in Saudi Arabia expressed interest in the items for sale, he agreed to sell and ship the items out of the country to them. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Saudi Arabian-based buyers paid the defendant approximately $398,000.
Court documents indicate that serial numbers from some of the firearms and firearms parts were removed before he shipped the items. The defendant then prepared the items further before shipping them by concealing the firearms and firearm parts inside of common household appliances and tools such as toasters, coffee makers, space heaters, fans, and landscaping edge trimmers. For example, the defendant concealed rifle barrels in items such as car axles, and smaller pistols inside of toasters. Using a fake return address, the defendant shipped the items through the U.S. Postal Service to freight forwarders, which are companies that specialize in the logistics of shipping items from one country to another. The defendant allegedly shipped the items to freight forwarding companies that operated out of Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon, and elsewhere without declaring that the shipments contained firearms and firearms parts.
Buschman is charged by indictment with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; attempted smuggling of goods from the United States; transporting and shipping firearms with removed, obliterated, or altered serial numbers; mailing firearms as nonmailable prohibited items; unlawful dealing in firearms without a license; and making false statements to law enforcement. If convicted on all counts, Buschman faces a maximum penalty of 42 years in prison and fines of up to $1.5 million. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Homeland Security Investigations Cleveland Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Cleveland Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives are investigating the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Shepherd and Jerome J. Teresinski for the Northern District of Ohio, Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan for the Western District of Wisconsin prosecuted the case.