Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Department of Defense Employee Indicted for Moonlighting as a Money Mule and Laundering Millions of Dollars for Overseas ScammersRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Samuel D. Marcus, 33, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, six counts of illegal monetary transactions, and one count of money laundering – illegal concealment, arising from his alleged role as a money mule for a group of Nigerian-based scammers, in which he received, concealed, and laundered millions of dollars in fraud proceeds.
The indictment alleges that, from approximately July 2023 to December 2025, while employed as a Logistics Specialist with the Department of Defense, the defendant was in direct and regular contact with a group of Nigeria-based fraudsters, who operated under the aliases “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray,” among others. These fraudsters engaged in a variety of wire fraud schemes that targeted victims based in the United States, including romance fraud, cyber fraud, tax fraud, financing fraud, and business email compromise schemes, to which victims lost millions of dollars.
The fraudsters employed a network of money mules in the United States to help launder the fraud proceeds, and instructed victims to transfer funds to financial accounts opened and operated by various money mules, including those controlled by Marcus.
The indictment alleges that, under the direction of fraudsters, the defendant and other money mules conducted a series of rapid financial transactions to convert fraud victim funds deposited into their accounts into cryptocurrency and to move those funds into foreign accounts. Marcus personally deposited and transferred millions of dollars of fraudulently obtained money into and through his personal and business accounts, while fully aware that “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray” were scammers who carried out sophisticated fraud schemes. Marcus also affirmatively misled and lied to his financial institutions and law enforcement officers about the laundered funds, to include sending fraudulent invoices to make the transactions appear legitimate.
In fact, the indictment alleges that the defendant continued to work as a money mule for the fraudsters after being informed by FBI agents that the money passing through his accounts had been stolen from other people and that his monetary transfers were consistent with money laundering.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 100 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and a $2 million fine.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel S. Dalke.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Prison for Committing Two Armed Carjackings Days ApartRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard Pridgen, 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 214 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release, and $11,709.82 in restitution by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for committing two carjackings in the city just days apart.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in August 2024 and pleaded guilty in October of last year to two counts of carjacking and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
As detailed in court filings and statements, the first carjacking was on July 3, 2023, when Pridgen carjacked a victim, who had been sitting in his parked blue Jeep, at gunpoint. Pridgen had at least one co-conspirator who drove him there in a separate vehicle.
Then, on July 6, 2023, Pridgen and two co-defendants, Raheem Bivens and Raheim Brown, used the first victim’s blue Jeep to carjack a second victim of his white Jeep. Pridgen and Bivens both pointed firearms with extended magazines at the victim, demanding the car and keys. Pridgen and Bivens then fled in the second victim’s white Jeep, with Bivens behind the wheel.
Philadelphia police located both Jeeps quickly and pursued all three men. Bivens crashed the white Jeep into several other cars, and Brown, who was driving the blue Jeep, crashed into another car. All the men ran, but all were apprehended, and police recovered both guns. Pridgen had the second victim’s identification on him when he was apprehended.
Pridgen carried out these carjackings right after his release from juvenile state custody for committing several violent gunpoint commercial robberies in 2021.
Co-defendants Bivens, 22, and Brown, 25, both also of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. They were each sentenced to 14 years in prison and five years of supervised release, with Bivens also ordered to pay $11,709.82 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Shulman and Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Walter Tharrington, aka “Black” and “Roaadblock,” 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 192 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for sex trafficking and child pornography offenses.
Tharrington was charged by indictment in August 2024. In April of last year, he was convicted at trial of sex trafficking of a minor and possession of child pornography.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, in or about the summer of 2023, the defendant asked Minor 1, then 14 years old, to help him make money. In order to do so, Tharrington directed Minor 1 to engage in commercial sex, with the defendant facilitating the commercial sex by soliciting customers through online advertisements.
Tharrington used his cellular phone to post explicit content of Minor 1 to accompany the online advertisements. The defendant set the prices for the encounters and instructed Minor 1 on what sexual acts to perform in exchange for money.
At the defendant’s direction, Minor 1 engaged in sexual encounters with buyers. The evidence established that Tharrington kept and controlled the profits from the encounters, while providing shelter for Minor 1, who lived at Tharrington’s house during the summer of 2023.
Tharrington physically assaulted Minor 1 on multiple occasions. Minor 1’s injuries were observed by another minor female, who corroborated Minor 1’s account and confirmed that the defendant had solicited her to work for him, as well.
“Walter Tharrington sexually exploited a child for his own profit, actions both inhumane and inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “While it’s gratifying that Tharrington will be behind bars for quite a while, no sentence can erase the harm he inflicted on his victim. We hope this result provides her not just a measure of justice, but also gives her some peace. We know that it will keep Tharrington from victimizing any more young girls.”
“Sex trafficking, especially when it involves a child, is one of the most egregious crimes the FBI investigates,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office. “This sentencing sends a clear message: the FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who prey on our most vulnerable and ensure they are brought to justice.”
“The sentencing of Walter Tharrington is an important step in holding traffickers accountable, but it does not erase the harm done,” said Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse. “Sex trafficking, especially of minors, is a monstrous crime and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold each and every participant accountable for their actions. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Metcalf and his team for their diligence and unfailing cooperation. Delaware County is fortunate to be able to call them partners as we all work to protect our children.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Ashenfelter and Amanda McCool.
Former Owner of Philadelphia Restaurant Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Cihan Calkap, 42, of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Kai N. Scott on one count of tax evasion.
As detailed in court filings and statements, Calkap owned and operated Mimmo’s Pizza and Kitchen, a Philadelphia restaurant. Between 2015 and 2019, Mimmo’s earned significant total income and employed approximately 25 employees. Rather than depositing all of the receipts into business bank accounts, Calkap took cash from the business. He used this cash to pay himself and to operate an “off the books” payroll for most of his employees.
Calkap avoided paying taxes on this money by providing his accountant with incomplete information about the restaurant’s income and expenses. In particular, Calkap gave his return preparer access only to the business’s bank records, knowing that those records did not include all of the cash income. This caused the accountant to prepare false corporate and personal income tax returns on behalf of Mimmo’s and Calkap that were filed with the IRS. From 2015 to 2018, Calkap underreported Mimmo’s total receipts.
Calkap also falsely told his return preparer that Mimmo’s only had four employees, including himself, when in reality it had approximately 25 employees. As a result, Calkap was able to minimize the employment taxes he collected and paid over to the IRS on behalf of Mimmo’s.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14 and faces a maximum possible term of five years in prison.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Chief Thomas F. Koelbl and Trial Attorney Likhitha Butchireddygari of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Tax Section, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Murray of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Five Foreign Nationals Sentenced in January for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that five foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this month.
Roberto Garcia-Antonio, aka Angel Rondon and Roberto Sandoval-Antonio, 49, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to 18 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States once again.
Garcia was previously removed from the country five times, and this is his fifth illegal reentry conviction. He was previously prosecuted twice in this District (May 2011 and March 2015) and twice in the Southern District of Texas (January 2013 and November 2016).
In January 2025, law enforcement encountered Garcia while executing a state search warrant at a home in Philadelphia and he was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Garcia was charged by indictment with illegal reentry last May and pleaded guilty in October.
Ricardo Henriquez Carmona, aka Dario Henriquez, 55, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge to 14 months in prison and one year of supervised release for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Henriquez Carmona had previously been removed from the U.S. in the summer of 1997, after pleading guilty to a narcotics offense in the Superior Court of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The defendant subsequently reentered the U.S. illegally and had a string of encounters with law enforcement, accruing convictions, under aliases, for selling drugs, stealing property, resisting arrest, trespassing, and committing aggravated assault.
Henriquez Carmona was arrested on a criminal complaint in June of last year, after ICE learned that he’d again entered the country illegally. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in July and pleaded guilty in October.
Magdaleno Ochoa-Avalos, 42, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez to 12 months and one day in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States for the sixth time.
Ochoa-Avalos had previously been removed from the U.S. in May 2008, after pleading guilty in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas to homicide by vehicle and serving his resulting prison sentence. He was removed three times in August 2008, after encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona, and again in August 2020, following his illegal reentry conviction in the District of South Carolina.
In early 2025, ICE received information that Ochoa-Avalos was again in the U.S. illegally. After conducting surveillance to ascertain the defendant’s identity and location, he was arrested in June on a criminal complaint, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in July, and pleaded guilty in September.
Luis Urrutia-Noyola, 33, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to time served, approximately four months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Urrutia-Noyola had previously been removed from the U.S. in April 2018 after an encounter with the U.S. Border Patrol in California.
In March of last year, ICE became aware that the defendant had been arrested by the Oxford (Pa.) Police Department for striking and threatening his domestic partner, and Urrutia-Noyola was then convicted and sentenced in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. After ICE arrested him in August on a criminal complaint, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in September and pleaded guilty in October.
Diego Jacome-Esquibel, 51, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer to time served, approximately three and a half months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Jacome-Esquibel had previously been removed from the U.S. in March 2012 and April 2012, after encounters with the Border Patrol in Texas and Arizona.
Last year, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) learned that the defendant had once again illegally reentered the country. Jacome-Esquibel was arrested on a criminal complaint in October, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in November, and pleaded guilty this month.
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 our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina Coker, Eileen Castilla Geiger, S. Chandler Harris, Justin Ashenfelter, and Jessica Rice.
Philadelphia Business Owner Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Wire Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that John Frances “Jack” Griffin, 62, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for wire fraud and tax evasion. Judge Kenney also ordered Griffin to pay $899,948 in restitution — $776,205 of that going to the victims of the fraud and the remaining $123,743 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
As detailed in court filings and statements, Griffin was the principal and founder of Second Story Farming Inc., which did business as Metropolis Farms. Second Story Farming had several lines of business, including growing crops in vertical farms to sell to customers, developing sustainable vertical farming technologies, and selling vertical farming systems to customers. Vertical farming refers to a practice of growing crops indoors vertically in horizontally stacked layers to reduce the amount of space needed.
In 2017, Griffin, through Second Story Farming, sold vertical farming systems along with the equipment, supplies, materials, and operational instructions necessary to operate them, to two companies. Before doing so, Griffin provided financial projections to them that grossly overstated the anticipated revenues that could be generated by the vertical farms and grossly understated the anticipated expenses necessary to operate them. The purchasers relied on those projections when they bought the vertical farms from Griffin.
Rather than use those funds to provide them with vertical farms he promised, Griffin used most of the money to pay, among other things, his own personal expenses, such as his mortgage and clothes from Nieman Marcus.
From 2015 through 2018, Griffin received more than $650,000 in income from his work at Second Story Farming. Despite earning this income, Griffin did not file tax returns for any of those years. Instead, Griffin tried to conceal that he received income, by, among other things, withdrawing cash from his personal and business bank accounts, paying personal expense from his business’s bank accounts, and transferring funds from his business to his wife.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis Weber and Trial Attorney Catriona M. Coppler of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Tax Section.
Montgomery County Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Defrauding FEMA of over $1.7 Million in Hurricane Ida Disaster BenefitsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jasmine Williams, 34, of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to five years in prison by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for a scheme to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) in the wake of Hurricane Ida.
Williams was charged by indictment in April 2024 with one count of fraud related to a major disaster declaration, 24 counts of wire fraud, and seven counts of mail fraud. She pleaded guilty to all 32 charges in September of last year.
As presented in court filings, in September 2021, President Joseph R. Biden issued a major disaster declaration for much of the eastern part of Pennsylvania, after the remnants of Hurricane Ida struck the Commonwealth. This declaration authorized FEMA to provide financial assistance to residents whose homes and properties were damaged by the hurricane.
As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Williams recruited others over social media, advertising that she could assist them in applying for FEMA benefits. Court filings show that Williams solicited participants in her scheme, whether they were renters, owners, or homeless. Williams then submitted fraudulent documents to FEMA on behalf of almost 200 others, including fraudulent leases, letters from landlords, utility bills, earning statements, and home repair estimates.
In exchange, Williams requested half of the payout for herself, amassing hundreds of thousands of dollars. When one participant did not pay, Williams took to social media, posting the participant’s personally identifiable information and an extended video criticizing her for not paying the 50% Williams charged. Williams also used social media to solicit images of damaged homes to submit in support of the fraudulent applications.
In total, the Court determined that FEMA paid $1,744,982.64 in assistance based on false representations made by Williams from October 2021 through March 2023.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, with assistance from FEMA Fraud Prevention and Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and S. Chandler Harris.
Two Area Men Indicted in Connection with Stolen Treasury Check SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ibrahim Tougouma, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Tyler Glenn-Hayward, 21, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to steal government funds, two counts of bank fraud, and possession of stolen mail. Glenn-Hayward was also charged with four counts of theft of government funds.
The indictment alleges that, from about May 2024 to August 2024, the defendants conspired, together and with others, to steal and convert to their own use Treasury checks issued by the federal government, to which Tougouma and Glenn-Hayward knew they were not entitled.
It was part of the conspiracy, the indictment further alleges, that after coming into possession of stolen Treasury checks, Glenn-Hayward altered and counterfeited the stolen checks, including at Tougouma’s direction, and received payments from Tougouma through peer-to-peer payment apps for doing so.
Specifically, on or about May 24, 2024, the indictment alleges that Tougouma, using a messaging app, sent Glenn-Hayward a photograph of a stolen Treasury check (“Check #1”), which had been issued by the Social Security Administration for victim M.O. in the amount of $15,926.25. Tougouma asked Glenn-Hayward to alter the payee information and provide a counterfeit of the valid Treasury check with the altered payee information for Check #1.
Glenn-Hayward agreed to do so, stated his price, and, once Tougouma had paid him the $100, he produced and sent to Tougouma two .pdf files of the counterfeit Treasury check for Check #1, with the payee information altered as Tougouma had directed. On or about May 29, 2024, Tougouma caused the counterfeit Treasury check for Check #1 to be deposited at a financial institution via an ATM located in Wilmington, Delaware.
The indictment further alleges that, on or about July 11, 2024, defendants Tougouma and Glenn-Hayward exchanged messages discussing the resale of Treasury checks and how to deposit the checks themselves. Glenn-Hayward directed Tougouma to send him a photo of a stolen Treasury check, and Tougouma sent an image of a stolen Treasury check issued by the Internal Revenue Service for victim G.M. in the amount of $173,194 (“Check #2”).
Glenn-Hayward altered the payee information on Check #2, copying the rest of the check’s information. On or about July 12, 2024, Glenn-Hayward caused the counterfeit Treasury check for Check #2 to be deposited at a financial institution via an ATM located in Annapolis, Maryland.
Additionally, the indictment alleges that, in April 2024, Glenn-Hayward stole and deposited four U.S. Treasury checks totaling more than $6,000 in government benefits to which he knew he wasn’t entitled.
If convicted, Tougouma faces a maximum possible sentence of 70 years’ imprisonment and Glenn-Hayward faces a maximum possible sentence of 110 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Indictment - U.S. v. Tougouma, et al
Chester County Woman Charged by Superseding Indictment with Allegedly Running Years-Long Immigration Fraud Scheme, Committing Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Fatima DeMaria, 65, of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, was charged by superseding indictment with eight counts of asylum fraud, eight counts of mail fraud, and four counts of tax evasion. DeMaria was the owner and operator of Immigration Matters Legal Services, located in Oxford, Pa.
The superseding indictment alleges that the defendant falsely represented herself to clients and prospective clients as an immigration attorney who could help undocumented aliens obtain employment authorization or “work permits.” However, DeMaria was neither a licensed attorney, nor accredited or authorized by the Executive Office for Immigration Review to represent individuals in immigration proceedings.
As alleged, from at least December 2021 to July 2024, DeMaria prepared, and caused to be prepared, fraudulent Form I-589 asylum applications in her clients’ names, without their knowledge or consent, knowingly making, and aiding and abetting the making of, false and material misstatements in the I-589 asylum applications.
For example, the defendant caused to be stated on each asylum application that the applicant was “seeking asylum or withholding of removal” based on “political opinion” and “Torture Convention.” Her clients, however, were not seeking asylum based on either of these categories, and never informed DeMaria or anyone at Immigration Matters Legal Services of facts that could make them eligible for asylum under either of these categories.
According to the superseding indictment, DeMaria placed, and caused to be placed, her clients’ signatures on the Form I-589 asylum applications, certifying under penalty of perjury that the applications and supporting evidence were true and correct, again without her clients’ knowledge or consent.
The superseding indictment further alleges that the defendant, and those acting at her direction, failed to advise clients that the mechanism through which she would help them obtain work permits from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was by filing frivolous Form I-589 asylum applications. Nor did the defendant advise clients that, if the asylum applications filed on their behalf were rejected or referred by USCIS, it would result in their being placed in removal proceedings, at which point the filing of the baseless asylum application could jeopardize their eligibility for future immigration benefits.
According to the superseding indictment, DeMaria charged her clients approximately $6,000-$9,000 per individual, and $12,000-$15,000 per couple, for her purported legal services in conjunction with their applications. As alleged in the superseding indictment, she also frequently had her clients pay her in cash or peer-to-peer transactions that were deposited into her personal bank accounts, hundreds of thousands of dollars of which were withdrawn at casinos.
Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that the defendant willfully attempted to evade and defeat a large part of her income tax due and owing by her and her husband to the United States of America for calendar years 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 through various means, including the failure to report substantial business income from Immigration Matters Legal Services in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) filings; deposits of significant amounts of business funds, consisting of lmmigration Matters Legal Services’ gross receipts, into DeMaria’s personal bank accounts; and concealing amounts of DeMaria’s true and correct income, and the frequency with which she deposited money, by structuring cash deposits into her personal and business bank accounts.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 260 years’ imprisonment and a $5 million fine. The government is also seeking forfeiture of the defendant’s alleged ill-gotten earnings, which are alleged to be at least $1 million.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation. USCIS, the Diplomatic Security Service, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service provided assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Solow and Eileen Castilla Geiger.
The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Superseding Indictment - U.S. v. DeMaria
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Eight and a Half Years in Prison for Violent Center City CarjackingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Damon Bell, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 102 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $14,711.27 in restitution by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez for carrying out a carjacking in April 2024.
Bell was charged by indictment with one count of carjacking in October 2024 and pleaded guilty in July of last year.
As detailed in the indictment and other public filings, on April 15, 2024, at approximately 3:20 a.m., the victim was sitting in his car in a surface parking lot at 13th and Vine streets in Center City Philadelphia. The defendant and three other individuals approached the victim, displayed guns, and demanded his keys. The victim tried to drive away, but the offenders’ vehicle blocked him into a spot.
When the victim then heeded the carjackers’ demands and got out of his car, they pistol-whipped him repeatedly in the head. At that point, the victim managed to escape the area on foot. Bell and his co-conspirators split up among the two vehicles, leaving the scene in the victim’s car and the one they had arrived in.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Osborne.
Former Employee Sentenced to Nine Days in Prison for Violating Security Requirements at Philadelphia International AirportRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tiriq Henson, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to nine days’ incarceration, followed by two years of supervised release, by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for helping another person bypass airport security at the Philadelphia International Airport.
In September of last year, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of entering an airport area in violation of security requirements.
As detailed in court filings, on March 9, 2024, Henson, then employed as a wheelchair assistant at Philadelphia’s airport, aided and abetted the entry of his associate, David Easley, into a secure airport area, permitting Easley to use the defendant’s security badge and credentials to bypass airport security entirely and gain access to the boarding area reserved for screened passengers.
Easley pleaded guilty to the same offense in July of last year and was also sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Transportation Security Administration and the Philadelphia Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.
Montgomery County Man Who Fraudulently Obtained More Than $240,000 in Disability Benefits from the VA Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Victor Milbourne, 52, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $241,690 in restitution, a $20,000 fine, and a $1,000 special assessment by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond for defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) out of approximately $241,260 in benefits.
The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2022 and pleaded guilty in September of last year to 10 counts of theft of government funds.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from December 1, 2013, through December 1, 2022, Milbourne knowingly defrauded the VA by claiming that he was severely disabled and unable to work due to service-connected injuries, in order to receive disability benefits to which he was not entitled.
In reality, the defendant led a very active lifestyle, including international travel, running his own business, and doing intensive physical workouts multiple times a week. Milbourne used the funds he stole from the VA to support his preferred lifestyle, including frequent dinners out and luxury vacations.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Bradbury and Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Scicchitano and MaryTeresa Soltis.
Fallcatcher Principal Who Defrauded Investors Out of Approximately $5 Million Sentenced to Five and a Half Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Henry Ford, also known as Cleothus “Lefty” Jackson, 51, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, was sentenced today to 66 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $2,095,480 in restitution by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky, for defrauding investors out of approximately $5 million.
Ford was charged by indictment in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in May of last year to one count of securities fraud and seven counts of wire fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ford founded and operated a business named Fallcatcher, the stated goal of which was to develop and market an electronic system designed to track use of medication by addiction recovery patients to prevent relapse.
In May 2018, Ford was seeking additional investors in Fallcatcher, which had been running out of funding. At this time, Ford used an acquaintance in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who had access to a network of investors to raise funds from these investors. Ford provided his acquaintance false and misleading information about the Fallcatcher investment proposal, so that the acquaintance would agree to send the information to his investor network.
Additionally, Ford made presentations in person to potential investors, who were part of this acquaintance’s network, at locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. During these presentations, Ford made false and misleading statements regarding the proposed investment opportunity and showed investors a fraudulent letter of interest, which falsely stated that a major insurance company had agreed to conduct a pilot program using Fallcatcher’s system. Ford caused his acquaintance to distribute further false and misleading statements after these presentations.
As a result of these deceptive fundraising efforts, Ford caused approximately 60 investors to invest about $5 million in total in Fallcatcher.
In 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) began to investigate Ford’s acquaintance, which resulted in a request for documents from Fallcatcher. During the SEC investigation, in the fall of 2018 and the first half of 2019, Ford took various actions to conceal his fraud upon the investors in Fallcatcher. For example, Ford, through his counsel, produced to the SEC an email purporting to show that the fraudulent letter of interest described above was legitimate. In fact, the email produced to the SEC, like the letter of interest, was also shown to be false and fabricated.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Murray and Francis A. Weber. The SEC’s New York Regional Office investigated and litigated the civil securities fraud charges, which formed the basis of a portion of the criminal prosecution.
19-Year-Old Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, Including Videos He Recorded While Sexually Abusing Two Young ChildrenRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Isaiah Smith, 19, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mary Kay Costello on possession of child pornography.
As detailed in the indictment and admitted to by the defendant, Smith maintained a collection of child pornography images and videos of prepubescent minors, including videos that the defendant recorded as he sexually abused two different child victims: a six-year-old girl, and a nonverbal three-year-old boy, on multiple occasions. The child sexual abuse material was discovered after a friend of the defendant walked in on Smith orally raping one of the child victims.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6 and faces a maximum possible term of 20 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of five years up to lifetime supervised release, mandatory financial penalties, and mandatory registration as a sex offender under SORNA and Megan’s Law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
26 People Charged in Alleged Bribery and Point-Shaving Scheme to Fix NCAA, CBA Men’s Basketball GamesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – At a news conference this morning, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced charges against 26 people in connection with an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix NCAA Division I men’s basketball games and Chinese Basketball Association games.
U.S. Attorney Metcalf discussed the case alongside FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs.
“The stakes here are far higher than anything on a bet slip. The criminal charges we have filed allege the criminal corruption of collegiate athletics through an international conspiracy of NCAA players, alumni, and professional bettors,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “It’s also yet another blow to public confidence in the integrity of sport, which rests on the fundamental principles of fairness, honesty, and respect for the rules of competition. When criminal acts threaten to corrupt such a central institution of American life, the Department of Justice won’t hesitate to step in.”
“Over the past two years, the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office led an investigation into a point-shaving and sports-bribery conspiracy resulting in the indictments announced today,” said FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey. “This case reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the American people and the institutions they trust. I am proud of the outstanding work of the FBI teams involved in the case. To those who choose corruption and betrayal: we will find you, we will investigate you, and we will hold you accountable.”
“Today’s arrests and charges would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our agents, analysts, and professional staff whose expertise, persistence, and commitment to justice over the past two years were the driving force behind this investigation,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Let this be a clear warning to professional and collegiate athletes, and to anyone who seeks to manipulate them — there is nowhere to hide — the short-term gain will never be worth the long-term loss.”
As alleged in an indictment and other filings unsealed this morning, the scheme was led by “fixers” Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Marves Fairley, 40, of Carson, Mississippi; Shane Hennen, 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Antonio Blakeney, 29, of Kissimmee, Florida; Roderick Winkler, 31, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and Alberto Laureano, 24, of Bronx, New York.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in or about September 2022, a group of individuals, including defendants Fairley and Hennen, worked together to recruit and bribe players to help influence or “fix” Chinese Basketball Association (“CBA”) men’s basketball games through point shaving. The fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, bribed CBA players to underperform and help ensure their team failed to cover the spread in certain games and then arranged for large wagers to be placed on those games against that team.
During the 2022-2023 CBA season, the indictment further alleges, the fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, recruited defendant Blakeney, then a player on the CBA’s Jiangsu Dragons (“Jiangsu”) and one of the league’s leading scorers, for their point-shaving scheme. Blakeney agreed to participate in the scheme and then recruited other players from his team to join the scheme, working together with the fixers to influence the outcome of Jiangsu games.
In or about April 2023, at the conclusion of the CBA regular season, the indictment alleges that defendant Fairley left a package containing nearly $200,000 in cash, representing bribe payments and proceeds from the scheme, in Blakeney’s storage unit in Florida.
The indictment further alleges that, after profiting on the fixed CBA games, the fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, along with Blakeney, turned their attention to fixing NCAA men’s basketball games. The three men enlisted additional participants, including defendants Smith, Winkler, and Laureano, to help them operate this scheme and recruit NCAA players who would accept bribes to influence games.
As alleged, during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 NCAA men’s basketball seasons, the fixers, including defendants Smith, Fairley, Hennen, Winkler, Laureano, and Blakeney agreed to recruit NCAA players who would help ensure that their team failed to cover the spread of the first half of a game or an entire game. The fixers would then place wagers on those games, betting against the team whose player or players they had bribed to engage in this point-shaving scheme.
Defendants Smith, Fairley, Hennen, Winkler, Laureano, and Blakeney approached and communicated with NCAA basketball players, in person and through social media, text message communications, and cellular telephone calls, the indictment alleges, with the fixers offering the players bribe payments, usually ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, to participate in the scheme.
The indictment alleges that the fixers specifically targeted college players for whom the bribe payments would meaningfully supplement, or exceed, the student-athletes’ legitimate opportunities for “Name-Image-Likeness” compensation. The fixers also generally targeted for their scheme players on teams that were underdogs in games and sought to have them fail to cover the spreads in those games. Many of these players accepted the offers and agreed to help fix specific games so that the fixers would win their wagers.
The indictment alleges that the defendant fixers engaged in a point-shaving scheme involving, in total, more than 39 players on more than 17 different NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams who then fixed and attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA games. To capitalize on this scheme, the fixers made wagers totaling millions of dollars, generating substantial proceeds for the fixers and the players who collectively received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribe payments for fixing their teams’ basketball games. When the fixers were successful with their wagers on fixed games, the indictment further alleges, defendant Smith and other co-schemers traveled to NCAA campuses and made cash bribe payments to the players who had agreed to participate in the point-shaving scheme.
A list of all defendants and the charges against them is linked below.
If convicted on a bribery in sporting contests charge, the maximum possible sentence a defendant would face is five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud brings a maximum possible sentence of 20 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine, if convicted.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jerome M. Maiatico.
Anyone who believes they may have information about these crimes and would like to report the information is asked to call FBI Philadelphia at 215-418-4000 and reference “NCAA point-shaving.”
Mr. Metcalf also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI’s New York Field Office for their valuable assistance with the investigation.
The charges and allegations contained in the charging documents are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Defendants chart
Indictment - U.S. v. J. Smith et al
Information - U.S. v. Blakeney
Information - U.S. v. Adams
Information - U.S. v. Etienne
Information - U.S. v. Gray
Information - U.S. v. Hines
Information - U.S. v. D. Smith
Florida-Based Veterinary Supply Company Pleads Guilty to Illegal Distribution of Xylazine; Sentenced to Forfeiture of More Than $748,000Read the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that All Veterinary Supply, Inc. (AVS) of Doral, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of introduction and delivery of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce and was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney to three years of probation, an $18,000 fine, and forfeiture of $748,507.25, the company’s approximate gross profit from the illicit sales.
AVS was charged by information in August of last year, arising from its illegal distribution of xylazine outside the scope of its state permit, which did not permit the company to sell drugs to other wholesalers.
While xylazine was only approved for veterinary use in the United States, it was increasingly found in the illegal drug supply and linked to overdose deaths. The drug, colloquially known as “tranq,” is particularly dangerous when combined with fentanyl, but even on its own has harmful side effects, including soft tissue necrosis for users who inject the drug.
As detailed in the government’s court filings, AVS sold approximately 180,993 bottles to its two primary wholesaling customers in Puerto Rico, in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, including xylazine that ultimately ended up in the illicit drug supply in Philadelphia.
This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony D. Scicchitano and Bryan C. Hughes, with Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Steven R. Scott and Brett Ruff of the Civil Division’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch, former DOJ Trial Attorney Michael Wadden, and EDPA contract investigator Michael Sullivan.
Philadelphia Men Charged by Superseding Indictment with Robberies Targeting Armored TrucksRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Dante Shackleford, 26, and Mujahid Davis, 24, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were charged by superseding indictment in connection with multiple robberies and attempted robberies last year that targeted armored trucks.
Both defendants have been charged with four counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery). Davis is also charged with two counts, and Shackleford with one count, of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The superseding indictment alleges that they participated in the following crimes:
- the July 2, 2025, robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
(Davis and others) - the July 15, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
(Shackleford, Davis, and others) - the July 22, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Elkins Park, Pa.
(Shackleford and others) - the August 12, 2025, robbery of a Brinks truck in Elkins Park, Pa.
(Shackleford, Davis, and others) - the October 3, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
(Shackleford, Davis, and others)
If convicted, the defendants face maximum possible sentences of life imprisonment. Davis also faces a fine of $1,500,000 and Shackleford a fine of $1,250,000.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The investigation is being conducted jointly by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Eckert and Kwambina Coker.
The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
- the July 2, 2025, robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Violent Home Invasion Robberies Targeting Business Owners and EmployeesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Abdullah Hartage, 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and $60,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for two violent home invasion robberies targeting business owners and employees.
Hartage and codefendant Ali Chandler were charged by superseding indictment in October 2022. Both pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiracy to commit robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and two counts of committing or threatening physical violence in furtherance of a plan or purpose to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. Chandler is still awaiting sentencing.
As detailed in court filings and statements, on November 13, 2021, Hartage, Chandler, and others met at their intended victims’ area business and waited outside until closing time, when the owners and their adult daughter left. The robbers, who had conducted prior surveillance to determine where the family lived, then drove to the residence, arriving before the victims.
When the victims opened their garage and parked inside, the four perpetrators, armed with handguns, stormed in. One of the gunmen struck the 61-year-old male victim several times in the head, causing injuries, and forced him to the ground. Another gunman forced the business owners’ daughter to the ground at gunpoint, and yet another perpetrator forced the 65-year-old female victim from the garage into the home at gunpoint, striking her several times in the head and causing injuries. After the home’s security alarm sounded, the perpetrators fled, taking the daughter’s backpack, which contained her credit/debit cards and ID.
In the next robbery, committed on December 4, 2021, Hartage, Chandler, and others targeted an employee of an area store. They had spent weeks casing the store, following the victim home and identifying her house. On the night of the robbery, the perpetrators again arrived ahead of the victim. Within minutes of the victim arriving home, three armed men broke in, one telling her “I know where you work.”
The 68-year-old victim was zip-tied to a chair and pistol whipped in the face, causing head injuries, including a gash requiring stitches and a concussion. The perpetrators made off with a safe containing cash, coins, and jewelry.
Hartage had served more than two years in state prison for previous violent home invasion robberies targeting business owners and was still on state probation when he planned and committed these 2021 home invasions.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Montgomery Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Doherty.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking of FedEx Truck, Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ronald Byrd, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for his role in the armed carjacking of a FedEx truck in August of 2022 and related offenses.
Byrd and co-defendant Saikeen Dixon, 33, also of Philadelphia, were charged by superseding indictment in September 2023. In June of this year, both were convicted at trial of carjacking and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In addition, Byrd was convicted at trial of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. After trial, Byrd also agreed to plead guilty to an additional firearms charge.
Judge Weilheimer sentenced Dixon last month to more than 12 years in prison.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on August 9, 2022, a package was sent from “Karen Boothe” of “Caliber Consulting LLC” in Buena Park, California, to “Universal Medical Inc” at 3401 North Broad Street, Suite 101, in Philadelphia, which is the address for Temple Hospital.
A FedEx Express driver, J.H., was delivering packages to Temple Hospital on the morning of August 10, 2022. J.H. began receiving phone calls and text messages from a former FedEx Express employee, P.A., asking for a package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc” at Temple Hospital.
After J.H. arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock, P.A. met him there and asked him again for the package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc.” J.H. told P.A. he could not give him the package. P.A. continued asking for it, even offering J.H. $5,000 in exchange. J.H. refused and called his supervisors.
J.H.’s supervisors, R.J. and D.J., arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock driving a FedEx van. They took the package P.A. was asking for onto their FedEx van, told J.H. to do his next round of deliveries at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, which is right next to Temple Hospital.
D.J. saw a black Jeep Cherokee come out of the Temple Hospital loading dock and follow the FedEx truck. P.A. then approached D.J. and asked her if he could have the package that he had asked J.H. for; she told him that he could not.
After finishing his deliveries at Shriners, J.H. drove his FedEx truck south on Broad Street towards the FedEx distribution center at 3600 Grays Ferry Avenue, with D.J. and R.J. following behind in their FedEx van. The black Jeep Cherokee that D.J. had seen continued following J.H.’s FedEx delivery truck.
At a red light about a block from the FedEx facility, the black Jeep, driven by Dixon, pulled in front of the FedEx truck. Defendant Byrd got out of the passenger side of the Jeep, pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at J.H., and approached the driver’s side of the FedEx truck. J.H. jumped out of the passenger side door and ran into oncoming traffic, heading toward the FedEx facility.
Byrd climbed into the FedEx truck and drove westbound across the Grays Ferry Bridge before pulling over at 47th and Linmore in Southwest Philadelphia, with Dixon following him in the Jeep. Byrd tried to open the back of the FedEx truck but could not, so he abandoned the FedEx vehicle and got back into the Jeep, which fled the scene.
After the carjacking, a trained narcotics K9 alerted to the package that P.A. had been asking for and investigators obtained a search warrant. Inside were nine individual packages wrapped in plastic and labeled “DSQUARED2,” each of which weighed approximately one kilogram and field-tested positive for cocaine. Lab testing later confirmed that the packages contained a total of approximately 9.005 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $500,000.
“The defendant was willing to get his shipment of cocaine by any means necessary, stalking and carjacking a FedEx truck at gunpoint on a busy Philly street,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He did all of this in broad daylight — while on supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction. Ronald Byrd is clearly a danger to our community with zero regard for the law. This sentence both holds him accountable and makes the city safer.”
“This defendant’s conduct placed Philadelphia residents at risk,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s result was made possible by the tireless efforts of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Together, we remain resolute in disrupting violent criminal activity, preventing further harm, and delivering justice for the victims and communities affected by violence.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Traffic Fentanyl and Cocaine, Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mario Fernandez Nunez, 23, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for drug trafficking and gun offenses.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in July 2024 and pleaded guilty in May of last year to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine; three counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a protected location.
As detailed in court filings and hearings, from November 2023 through February 2024, Nunez conspired with co-defendant Yercy Fernandez Salcedo and others to distribute fentanyl. Typically, Salcedo arranged drug sales over the phone and then sent defendant Nunez to meet the buyer with the narcotics and collect the money.
As part of the drug trafficking conspiracy, Salcedo arranged to have Nunez live at and manage the stash house, located on the 4700 block of Worth Street in Philadelphia. A federal search warrant executed at the property in February 2024 recovered six firearms, tens of thousands of packets of fentanyl, a kilogram of cocaine, packaging materials, and paraphernalia.
Salcedo pleaded guilty in July to drug trafficking and gun offenses and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shayna Gannone.
Four Foreign Nationals Sentenced in December for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that four foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this month.
Juan Vargas Ramirez, aka Juan Vargas and Seferino Vargas-Ramirez, 30, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to time served, approximately seven months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
The defendant had previously been removed from the U.S. five times after encounters with U.S. immigration authorities: once in March 2014, twice in January 2015, and twice in October 2016.
In May of this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Vargas Ramirez had illegally reentered the U.S. and took him into custody. He was charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry in June and pleaded guilty in August.
Miguel Limon Ascencion, aka Miguel Limon, 42, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to time served, approximately three months, plus seven days, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
The defendant had previously been removed from the U.S. in April 2018, after being encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Brownsville, Texas.
ICE learned that Limon Ascension had been arrested in July of this year by the Norristown Police Department. He was charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry in September and pleaded guilty in October.
Jenfry Then Regalado, 29, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to time served, approximately seven months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
The defendant had previously been removed from the U.S. in July 2016, after an encounter that March with the U.S. Border Patrol in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
ICE became aware that Then Regalado had illegally reentered the United States following his arrest by the Philadelphia Police Department on narcotics charges, to which he pleaded no contest in May of this year. In June, Then Regalado was charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty in September.
Kevin Arley Rosas-Pabon, 27, a Colombian national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to time served, approximately four months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
The defendant had previously been removed from the U.S. in late 2021, following an encounter with the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas.
In July of this year, ICE learned that he had reentered the U.S. illegally and frequented an address in Easton, Pa. Rosas-Pabon was taken into custody in August, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in October, and pleaded guilty the same month.
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 our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Martin E. Howley Jr., Lindsey Mills, Maureen McCartney, and Rosalynda M. Michetti.
Arizona Couple That Ran Medical Clinic Business Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and to Violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic ActRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mary Blakley, 76, and Fred Blakley, 61, both of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and to defraud the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The defendants were charged by superseding indictment in June of this year, along with their business associate, Janmarie Lanzo, 66, also of Lake Havasu City. Lanzo pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and defraud the FDA.
Fred Blakley also pleaded guilty to an information charging him with possession of a firearm by a felon, after investigators seized more than 30 firearms and 30,000 rounds of ammunition from a garage he used. He had been previously convicted of federal charges for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.
As detailed in court filings, Mary Blakley, who described herself as “Doctor Mary,” and Fred Blakley were the principals of a medical clinic business that charged clients throughout the United States approximately $300 — usually in cash — for conducting what the defendants described as “full body scans” using an ultrasound machine. Lanzo worked in the clinics and sold products to clients that were recommended by Mary Blakley as a result of the scans.
The defendants falsely claimed that, through the deployment of “smart chip technology” supposedly invented by Mary Blakley and installed in conventional ultrasound machines, their “full body scans” could diagnose, treat, and cure a wide variety of human diseases and medical conditions, including cancers. Mary Blakley would claim to “activate” the “smart chip” or “light it up like a Christmas tree” to detect cancer cells. She would also claim to conduct non-invasive colonoscopies, measure immune system levels, and clean out scarring or toxins from the lungs or brainstem, among other feats. All of these claims were false.
Based on the results of these “full body scans,” the defendants falsely and fraudulently prescribed various supplements, creams, and veterinary products. The defendants promoted and sold Aetheion, a product marketed as a cosmetic cream, to treat cancer, gastric hernias, and various other conditions. In fact, Mary Blakley would claim to activate a “laser” on her ultrasound machine to “drive” Aetheion cream into a patient’s body to kill cancer cells.
The defendants also promoted and sold fenbendazole to treat cancer in humans. Fenbendazole is a veterinary antiparasitic (intended for deworming horses and other animals) that is not approved for use in humans; indeed, fenbendazole packaging even warns that it should not be used in animals intended for human consumption. In addition, the defendants promoted and sold ProArgi9+, a vitamin supplement, to treat cardiovascular disease and to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
To promote their clinics and gain the trust of potential clients, the defendants made various false and misleading claims touting Mary Blakley’s background and credentials. For instance, Mary claimed that she had obtained a Ph.D. from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. However, she never attended the Karolinska Institutet, and in fact, has never left the United States.
To conceal their scheme, the defendants falsely claimed they were only doing research, when they actually sold products and services and refused to keep any records or documentation; used coded language, avoiding terms like “diagnose” or “prescribe” and saying “bad cells” instead of “cancer”; and disguised the nature of the clinics as a private or religious organization, requiring clients to execute membership or confidentiality agreements.
The Blakleys are scheduled to be sentenced in April. Mary Blakley faces a maximum possible term of 25 years in prison. Fred Blakley faces up to 40 years in prison. Lanzo is scheduled to be sentenced in March and faces a maximum possible term of five years in prison.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and Paul G. Shapiro and Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.
Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard Adamsky, 66, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert on one count of receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Adamsky was indicted in September of 2025, for knowingly receiving a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct on or about June 15, 2024. Additionally, Adamsky possessed two computers and two flash drives containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These depictions included prepubescent minors and minors under 12 years of age. At the time of his arrest, Adamsky had been a 7th and 8th grade teacher at Nativity of Our Lord grade school in Warminster, Pa., where he had taught for the last 38 years.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency, the Warminster Township Police Department, Upper Merion Township Police Department, and Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maureen McCartney.
Leader of Area Drug Trafficking Operation Sentenced to 19½ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Alberto Cintron, aka “Bert” and “Nephew,” 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 234 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge John M. Younge for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
The defendant was charged by indictment in May of 2024 and pleaded guilty this July to more than a dozen charges, including conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl; distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a school; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm by a felon.
As detailed in court filings and statements, in July 2023, law enforcement learned that Cintron was the leader of a drug trafficking group (“DTG”) distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Montgomery County, Chester County, and Philadelphia areas. The investigation revealed a common pattern or method of conducting business, namely, the defendant would either direct his associate to deliver drugs to customers, or Cintron would deliver the controlled substances himself.
From approximately July 2023 through October 2023, the Cintron DTG distributed, or possessed with the intent to distribute, more than five kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 1,000 grams of fentanyl, and other controlled substances. Recovered during search warrants at both his residence in Philadelphia and drug stash houses that he maintained were over 5,500 individually packaged bags of fentanyl, several pounds of methamphetamine and multiple firearms that the defendant was legally prohibited from having.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Upper Merion Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Mills and Special Assistant United States Attorney and Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Kathleen McLaughlin.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“My office and our partners at the FBI are working every day to unmask child predators, prosecute them to the fullest extent, and get justice for their victims,” said United States Attorney David Metcalf. “Protecting children from sexual exploitation will always be a top priority.”
“The men and women of FBI Philadelphia work every day to protect and support children across the communities we serve,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Operation Relentless Justice underscores our unwavering commitment to combatting child exploitation, one of the most heinous offenses we investigate. Alongside our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to pursue those who prey on our most vulnerable and bring them to justice.”
In the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, two defendants have been charged under Operation Relentless Justice.
Sean Gallagher, 31, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Derek Weaver, 29, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt of child pornography.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, Texas, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a police officer from Raleigh, North Carolina, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful nationwide operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
The charges and allegations contained in indictments and criminal complaints are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
FDC Philadelphia Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse, Violating Inmate’s Civil RightsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Michael Jefferson, 43, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a correctional officer at Federal Detention Center (FDC) Philadelphia, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Joshua D. Wolson Wednesday afternoon on one count of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse of a ward, and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, arising from his sexual abuse of an FDC inmate under his authority.
The defendant was charged with those offenses by indictment in May of this year.
As detailed in court filings and statements, in the early morning hours of July 6, 2024, Jefferson entered the cell of an inmate at the FDC and forced the victim to engage in a sexual act, resulting in bodily injury to the victim. While acting under color of law, Jefferson willfully deprived the victim of her right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, a right secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States, which includes the right to be free from sexual abuse by a correctional officer.
Jefferson has been suspended from his position by the Bureau of Prisons.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7 and faces a maximum possible term of life imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meghan Claiborne Bisio.
Chester County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Unregistered Explosive DevicesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kevin Krebs, 32, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mary Kay Costello to possession of an unregistered firearm or destructive device.
The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint in October and charged by information earlier this month.
As detailed in court filings and statements, on June 14, 2025, Krebs was arrested by the West Chester Police Department for carrying a firearm without a license. Two days later, Chester County Detectives executed a state search warrant at Krebs’s residence and discovered what appeared to be an improvised explosive device (IED), specifically a pipe bomb, and related materials, in a garage attached to the premises.
Bomb technicians responded, examined the device, and determined that it contained nails and screws, which are frequently placed inside IEDs to serve as shrapnel. As the search continued, investigators located multiple additional IEDs, as well as other explosive materials and related components.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31 and faces a maximum possible term of 10 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, and the West Chester Police Department, with the assistance of the Montgomery County, FBI, and ATF Bomb Squads, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Frank Menna.
Chester County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Numerous Minor Girls Online, Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Valentin Lubinski, 26, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, a $3,600 special assessment, and a total of $28,000 in restitution and other assessments by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage for the online sexual exploitation of numerous minor girls and child pornography offenses.
In February 2023, the defendant was charged by indictment with 18 counts of use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor, and attempt to entice a minor, to engage in sexual conduct, and 18 counts of manufacture, attempted manufacture, and willfully causing the manufacture of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all 36 charges in December of last year.
As detailed in court documents and statements, throughout June of 2022, Lubinski, operating with the handle “Leo_32149,” used a social media application to sexually exploit and extort 18 identified minor victims to self-produce sexually explicit images and videos of themselves and send them to him. The defendant’s victims ranged in age from nine to 16 years old and lived primarily in rural areas throughout the United States.
Lubinski engaged in a common communication style with each victim. He quickly asked the victims how old they were and then lied about his own age, identifying himself as a male between the ages of 13 and 17 years old. He then asked for an image to see what the victim looked like, and upon receipt, responded with a compliment. Lubinski often sent the victims a photo of a teen boy he purported to be himself.
After the initial exchange, the defendant commonly told the victim that he had a question for her, and asked some variation of “R u freaky?” Regardless of the victim’s response, he then asked her to make a deal with him – the victim would send him a picture of his choice, and, in exchange, Lubinski promised to send a combination of pictures and videos of himself to the victim.
Depending on the victim’s level of resistance at this point, the defendant would explain that the photo he wanted “wasn’t bad” and would then ask for a photo of the victim in her bra or underwear, followed by a topless photo. Upon receipt of these images, he took screenshots and asked the victim for more sexually explicit images, and sexually explicit photos with her face included.
Typically, the victim declined to send these images, at which point Lubinski began his sextortion of the victim, threatening to post her topless photo/bra photo/underwear photo on various social media platforms and often sending the screenshot back to her with a banner of text such as, “follow [the victim’s social media handle] she sends nudes.”
Lubinski continued to ask for more explicit and humiliating photos and videos of the girls, often employing a countdown, giving the victims “one minute” to pose in a certain way and send him a photo or video or he would post their other images. Many of the defendant’s victims begged him to stop, as he extorted them.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Harrell and Amanda McCool.
RST-Sanexas, Inc. and Its Owners Agree to Pay $1.5 Million to Resolve Allegations That They Caused False Claims and Accepted and Paid Illegal KickbacksRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that RST-Sanexas, Inc. (Sanexas), a Las Vegas, Nevada-based manufacturer and marketer of electric stimulation devices, and its principal owners, Richard Sorgnard, Lisa Sorgnard, and Morhea Sorgnard (“the Settling Defendants”), along with certain related entities, have jointly agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (“FCA”), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, by causing the submission of false claims to Medicare for electrical muscle stimulation, vitamin injections, and other related services that were not medically reasonable or necessary and for services that were tainted by impermissible kickbacks. The settlement amount is based on the Settling Defendants’ ability to pay.
“Our office continues to lead the national charge to hold alleged fraudsters accountable for improper Sanexas billing,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will continue working closely with our partners at CMS’s Center for Program Integrity, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Justice Department’s Civil Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country to hold accountable any other providers who inappropriately billed for these devices and caused false claims to be submitted.”
“Accurately billing for services provided to Medicare enrollees is required of all health care providers participating in the program,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to evaluate and pursue allegedly inaccurate billings of Sanexas and similar devices.”
Sanexas manufactures and markets a medical device called the “RST Sanexas neoGEN-Series,” which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared for electrical nerve stimulation to treat neuropathy and other forms of chronic pain, in certain limited circumstances. The United States contends that between September 2017 and May 2022, the Settling Defendants improperly marketed the Sanexas device for indications that were outside its FDA clearance and not reasonable and necessary, including for treatment of acute pain, improving nerve health, regrowing nerves, and as a combination product with vitamin injections.
Further, Medicare did not cover some Sanexas treatments, or vitamin injections used in conjunction with Sanexas treatments, as marketed by the Settling Defendants and performed by Sanexas customers. In particular, National Coverage Determination 160.7.1 states that “[e]lectrical nerve stimulation treatments furnished by a physician in his/her office, by a physical therapist or outpatient clinic are excluded from coverage...” Multiple local coverage determinations contain similar statements and further provide that vitamin injections are not medically reasonable and necessary when used to perform a nerve block function.
The United States further contends that the Settling Defendants caused provider customers to submit false claims to Medicare for epidermal nerve fiber density (ENFD) testing. ENFD testing involves performing a “punch biopsy” on patients to evaluate nerve damage that purportedly could be treated with the Sanexas device. Sanexas allegedly encouraged providers to conduct ENFD testing following treatment with the Sanexas device to evaluate any improvement in nerve health. However, the Sanexas device is not cleared for healing or regrowing nerves and procedures using the device for those purposes are not covered, and therefore it was not medically reasonable or necessary to conduct such additional testing.
Finally, the United States alleges that the Settling Defendants violated the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b), by paying and accepting illegal inducements in exchange for customer referrals. The AKS prohibits anyone from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration — which includes money or any other thing of value — to induce referrals of items or services covered by federally funded healthcare programs. The United States alleges that the Settling Defendants violated AKS in two ways. First, the Settling Defendants offered volume-based discounts to distributorships owned and operated by medical providers who performed procedures using the Sanexas device, and paid commissions that were conditioned upon and directly tied to the value of business that the distributors generated on behalf of Sanexas. Second, the Settling Defendants received commissions from a diagnostic laboratory for referring medical providers to perform ENFD testing in conjunction with Sanexas treatment.
This settlement resolves certain allegations in lawsuits filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Western District of Pennsylvania under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Those provisions allow private individuals known as “relators” to sue on behalf of the United States and to share in the proceeds of any settlement or judgment that may result. The relators in these cases will receive statutory awards from this recovery, and also may be entitled to shares of future recoveries from other defendants named in the lawsuits.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Pennsylvania and the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Investigative support and assistance were provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The matter was handled in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric S. Wolfish and Civil Chief Gregory B. David, Eastern District of Wisconsin by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Yun and Michael Carter, and Western District of Pennsylvania by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Brown and Paul Skirtich, along with Civil Fraud Section Senior Trial Counsel Kelley C. Hauser and Trial Attorney Evan J. Ballan.
Prior DOJ press releases related to the Sanexas national initiative include:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/two-doctors-and-their-medical-practice-pay-more-181000-resolve-false-claims-act
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/us-attorney-announces-two-additional-civil-settlements-part-national-effort-combat
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/us-attorney-announces-additional-civil-settlement-chiropractor-and-his-practice-part
In addition, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania recently entered a Consent Judgment to resolve the action that this Office filed against Joseph M. Childs, DC, Charles H. Durr, DC, and Active Integrated Medical Centers, PC, for breaching their payment obligations under the parties’ $1.9 million settlement agreement relating to Sanexas billing.
The investigation and pursuit of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud, including in the healthcare technology arena. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims above are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Philadelphia Man Charged with Robbing Area Store, Gas Station, and BankRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Donte Samuel Brown, 45, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by superseding indictment with two counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of bank robbery.
The indictment alleges that Brown robbed a Family Dollar store in Delaware County on August 15, 2024; robbed at gunpoint a Sunoco gas station in Montgomery County on January 28, 2025; and robbed a TD Bank branch in Delaware County on February 19, 2025, stealing a total of over $8,000 cash in these robberies. The defendant was initially indicted in July of this year for the bank and gas station robberies.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, the East Norriton Township Police Department, Ridley Township Police Department, and Upper Darby Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra Urban and Brian Doherty.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking of FedEx TruckRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Saikeen Dixon, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 147 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for his role in the armed carjacking of a FedEx truck in August of 2022.
Dixon and co-defendant Ronald Byrd, 37, also of Philadelphia, were charged by superseding indictment in September 2023. In June of this year, both were convicted at trial of carjacking and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.[1]
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on August 9, 2022, a package was sent from “Karen Boothe” of “Caliber Consulting LLC” in Buena Park, California, to “Universal Medical Inc” at 3401 North Broad Street, Suite 101, in Philadelphia, which is the address for Temple Hospital.
A FedEx Express driver, J.H., was delivering packages to Temple Hospital on the morning of August 10, 2022. J.H. began receiving phone calls and text messages from a former FedEx Express employee, P.A., asking for a package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc” at Temple Hospital.
After J.H. arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock, P.A. met him there and asked him again for the package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc.” J.H. told P.A. he could not give him the package. P.A. continued asking for it, even offering J.H. $5,000 in exchange. J.H. refused and called his supervisors.
J.H.’s supervisors, R.J. and D.J., arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock driving a FedEx van. They took the package P.A. was asking for onto their FedEx van, told J.H. to do his next round of deliveries at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, which is right next to Temple Hospital.
D.J. saw a black Jeep Cherokee come out of the Temple Hospital loading dock and follow the FedEx truck. P.A. then approached D.J. and asked her if he could have the package that he had asked J.H. for; she told him that he could not.
After finishing his deliveries at Shriners, J.H. drove his FedEx truck south on Broad Street towards the FedEx distribution center at 3600 Grays Ferry Avenue, with D.J. and R.J. following behind in their FedEx van. The black Jeep Cherokee that D.J. had seen continued following J.H.’s FedEx delivery truck.
At a red light about a block from the FedEx facility, the black Jeep, driven by defendant Dixon, pulled in front of the FedEx truck. Defendant Byrd got out of the passenger side of the Jeep, pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at J.H., and approached the driver’s side of the FedEx truck. J.H. jumped out of the passenger side door and ran into oncoming traffic, heading toward the FedEx facility.
Byrd climbed into the FedEx truck and drove westbound across the Grays Ferry Bridge before pulling over at 47th and Linmore in Southwest Philadelphia, with Dixon following him in the Jeep. Byrd tried to open the back of the FedEx truck but could not, so he abandoned the FedEx vehicle and got back into the Jeep, which fled the scene.
After the carjacking, a trained narcotics K9 alerted to the package that P.A. had been asking for and investigators obtained a search warrant. Inside were nine individual packages wrapped in plastic and labeled “DSQUARED2,” each of which weighed approximately one kilogram and field-tested positive for cocaine. Lab testing later confirmed that the packages contained a total of approximately 9.005 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $500,000.
“The brazen acts in this case posed a direct threat to the safety, security, and quality of life to Philadelphia residents,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The coordinated efforts and diligence of the Violent Crimes Task Force and our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office made today’s result possible. We remain steadfast in our collective mission of combating violent crime and keeping our communities safe.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.
[1] Byrd was also convicted at trial of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. After trial, Byrd also agreed to plead guilty to an additional firearms charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6.
Georgia Man Sentenced to Two Months in Prison for Evading Security Requirements at Philadelphia International AirportRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that David Easley, 39, of Georgia, was sentenced to two months' incarceration and 26 months of supervised release, with the first two months on home confinement, by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for evading security requirements at Philadelphia International Airport.
The defendant was charged by information in May of this year and pleaded guilty in July to one count of evading airport security, arising from his use of the identification badge of an airline employee to access a secured, sterile area of Philadelphia International Airport, knowingly and willfully bypassing airport security. Easley has never been employed at the Philadelphia International Airport.
As detailed in court filings and statements, on March 9, 2024, Easley was a ticketed domestic airline passenger, scheduled to fly from Philadelphia to Atlanta, Georgia, on a flight departing at 7:05 p.m. At approximately 6:35 p.m., video surveillance captured Easley using an airport Secure Identification Display Area (SIDA) badge belonging to an airport employee, typing a passcode on the keypad, and gaining access through the secure doors leading from the public side of the airport ticketing area to the secure area of the airport.
The defendant entered a restricted area for employees that is between the public, pre-security ticketing area and the public, post-security “sterile” terminal. Easley did not go through TSA screening before entering this secure area.
Easley then used another door to enter the public “sterile” terminal area of the airport, that being the area where screened passengers have access to board their flights. The TSA encountered Easley while conducting random security inspections to prevent prohibited items and unauthorized individuals from accessing the sterile area.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.
Recovery Centers of America Agrees to Pay $2 Million to Resolve Allegations That It Violated the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act by Mishandling Controlled Substances and Providing Inadequate Treatment ServicesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced today that Recovery Centers of America (RCA) has agreed to pay $1,000,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) that are designed to prevent the diversion of controlled substances for illegal uses, and an additional $1,000,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by billing the government for drug and alcohol treatment services that it failed to adequately provide.
The United States’ allegations under the CSA arise from audits and investigations the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted at RCA facilities in Pennsylvania and Maryland between 2019 and 2024. Based on those audits and investigations, the United States contends that RCA dispensed controlled substances in an unlawful manner, that certain controlled substances were missing from the company’s records, and that the company failed to comply with additional recordkeeping requirements of the CSA.
In addition, the United States alleges that, at certain facilities during a period from 2017 through 2019, RCA violated the FCA by billing the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and Medicaid for the care of beneficiaries to whom it failed to provide and document the requisite treatment services.
“Drug and alcohol treatment facilities must prescribe and store controlled substances in a manner that comports with rules designed to ensure that dangerous drugs do not fall into the wrong hands. They also must provide treatment services that comply with all governing laws and regulations,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “When they fail in either of those critical duties they will face significant consequences.”
“When rehabilitation and treatment centers do not live up to their obligations, our office will vigorously pursue the violations,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Division. “Careless behavior and failure to adhere to the provisions of the CSA allows for substances to be diverted and sold without accountability.”
“This settlement underscores our agency’s steadfast commitment to investigating alleged False Claims Act violations targeting federal health care programs,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Unlawful dispensing of controlled substances and billing for unprovided care endanger patients and defraud taxpayers. HHS-OIG will continue working with our partners to hold providers accountable and protect patient safety.”
“Patients seeking to recover from addiction should be able to trust that treatment facilities will provide safe, legitimate care in support of their health,” said Derek M. Holt, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General (OPM-OIG). “We thank our dedicated staff and federal law enforcement partners for holding accountable those facilities that instead seek to exploit vulnerable federal employees and their family members.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that a defendant has submitted false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, a former Outcomes Supervisor at RCA’s corporate headquarters in King of Prussia, Pa., to receive a $230,000 share of the settlement amount. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. McLoyd v. TRC-OC, Trading as Recovery Centers of America Holdings, LLC, No. 17-cv-5164 (E.D. Pa.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort among the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the DEA, the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The matter was handled in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Carr and Charlene Keller Fullmer and former auditor Dawn Wiggins.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Downloading Thousands of Images and Video of Children Being Sexually AbusedRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Michael Hochman, 52, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 240 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for downloading and collecting thousands of images and video of child sexual abuse material.
The defendant was charged by information with receipt of child pornography and pleaded guilty in June.
In 2002, Hochman was convicted in the state of Kansas of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, for which he was sentenced to 55 months’ imprisonment. In that case, he communicated online with a 13-year-old girl, manipulated her into producing sexually explicit images, and traveled to Kansas and engaged in sex with the child on multiple occasions.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Woman Seated Next to Him on 2024 Los Angeles to Philadelphia FlightRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Vernon Baker, 41, of Linden, New Jersey, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Anita B. Brody to one count of abusive sexual contact on an aircraft.
The defendant was charged with that offense by indictment in January of this year.
As detailed in court filings, on October 30, 2024, aboard a commercial flight from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, Baker made sexual advances toward the female passenger sitting next to him. After the victim refused his advances, Baker took out his penis and forcibly tried to get the victim to touch him. He then grabbed her breast over her clothing and untied her pants. Traumatized and shaken, the victim rushed to the back of the cabin, where she reported this assault to flight attendants.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3 and faces a maximum possible term of three years’ imprisonment, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh Davison and Special Assistant United States Attorney Meagan Gordon.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Violent Threats, Cyberstalking, Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
Mark Tucci, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and $16,529.44 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Gerald A. McHugh for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for multiple offenses arising from racist, violent threats made by phone, email, text message, and in person, that targeted African-Americans.
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message: hate-based violence has no place in America,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division remains committed to ensuring that all Americans feel safe in their cities and communities.”
“Every citizen is entitled to a peace and security undisturbed by the abhorrent and racist threats that took place in this case, full stop,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “No citizen has the right to inflict, and no citizen has the duty to endure, the verbal harassment and racist attacks that the defendant committed in our District.”
“Today's sentencing reinforces our commitment to protecting every individual's civil rights and ensuring that those who intimidate, harass, or threaten our citizens are brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office. “The FBI and our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Attorney's Office will continue to work side by side to safeguard our communities from threats of violence.”
The defendant pleaded guilty to an information on Aug. 21, charging him with two counts of interfering with federally protected activities, one count of cyberstalking, and one count of interstate communication of threats.
As detailed in the information and other court filings, the defendant repeatedly called and sent text messages and emails that consisted of racial epithets and violent threats to harm an employee (Victim 1) of an agency of the City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Agency 1), and Victim 1’s colleagues.
Between about April 18, 2024, and June 2, 2024, Tucci emailed Victim 1 multiple times regarding a records request he had made to the agency. This escalated on June 3, 2024, when he repeatedly called Philadelphia Agency 1, and during two of those calls, he spoke with Victim 1, identified himself by name, and screamed at Victim 1, who asked him to stop screaming. He continued to do so, causing Victim 1 to hang up each time.
During subsequent calls on June 3 with Philadelphia Agency 1, Tucci spoke with two of Victim 1’s colleagues, using racial epithets and making threats. Specifically, the defendant said that he was going to come down to Philadelphia Agency 1 the next day and hurt everyone, and that he had Victim 1’s home address and was going to hurt Victim 1.
Tucci sent multiple emails to Victim 1 the same day, using similar racial epithets and threats. He also texted Victim 1 on their personal cell phone, a phone number that Victim 1 had never provided to the defendant. The text messages from Tucci to Victim 1 mentioned Victim 1 by name, and the name of the street on which Victim 1 resided at the time. The messages included a warning that “This is personal now,” and additional threatening language.
Tucci’s communications caused Victim 1 severe emotional distress, and fear that Tucci would find Victim 1 and seriously injure or kill them or their family members.
Tucci willfully intimidated and interfered, and attempted to intimidate and interfere, with Victim 1 because of Victim 1’s race and color, and because Victim 1 was enjoying employment by, and all perquisites of, an agency of the City of Philadelphia, a subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Also detailed in court filings, on the morning of Feb. 1, 2024, Tucci pulled up next to another car in heavy traffic on I-95 southbound, lowered his windows, and repeatedly screamed racial epithets and threats to kill and shoot the other car’s driver (Victim 2), who is African-American. Tucci then reached down into his car, at which point Victim 2 believed Tucci was reaching for a gun. Instead, Tucci pulled out a glass mug containing coffee, and threw it at Victim 2’s vehicle, terrifying Victim 2 and damaging their car.
The incident occurred while Victim 2 was enjoying a facility provided and administered by a state and a subdivision thereof, that is, driving on I-95.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Jeanette Kang and Michelle L. Morgan for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Samuel Kuhn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Violent Threats, Cyberstalking, Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mark Tucci, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and $16,529.44 in restitution by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh for multiple offenses arising from racist, violent threats made by phone, email, text message, and in person, that targeted African Americans.
In August of this year, the defendant pleaded guilty to an information charging him with two counts of interfering with federally protected activities, one count of cyberstalking, and one count of interstate communication of threats.
As detailed in the information and other court filings, the defendant repeatedly called and sent text messages and emails that consisted of racial epithets and violent threats to harm an employee (Victim 1) of an agency of the City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Agency 1), and Victim 1’s colleagues.
Between about April 18, 2024, and June 2, 2024, Tucci emailed Victim 1 multiple times regarding a records request he had made to the agency. This escalated on June 3, 2024, when he repeatedly called Philadelphia Agency 1, and during two of those calls, he spoke with Victim 1, identified himself by name, and screamed at Victim 1, who asked him to stop screaming. He continued to do so, causing Victim 1 to hang up each time.
During subsequent calls on June 3 with Philadelphia Agency 1, Tucci spoke with two of Victim 1’s colleagues, using racial epithets and making threats. Specifically, the defendant said that he was going to come down to Philadelphia Agency 1 the next day and hurt everyone, and that he had Victim 1’s home address and was going to hurt Victim 1.
Tucci sent multiple emails to Victim 1 the same day, using similar racial epithets and threats. He also texted Victim 1 on their personal cell phone, a phone number that Victim 1 had never provided to the defendant. The text messages from Tucci to Victim 1 mentioned Victim 1 by name, and the name of the street on which Victim 1 resided at the time. The messages included a warning that “This is personal now,” and additional threatening language.
Tucci’s communications caused Victim 1 severe emotional distress, and fear that Tucci would find Victim 1 and seriously injure or kill them or their family members.
Tucci willfully intimidated and interfered, and attempted to intimidate and interfere, with Victim 1 because of Victim 1’s race and color, and because Victim 1 was enjoying employment by, and all perquisites of, an agency of the City of Philadelphia, a subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Also detailed in court filings, on the morning of February 1, 2024, Tucci pulled up next to another car in heavy traffic on I-95 southbound, lowered his windows, and repeatedly screamed racial epithets and threats to kill and shoot the other car’s driver (Victim 2), who is African American. Tucci then reached down into his car, at which point Victim 2 believed Tucci was reaching for a gun. Instead, Tucci pulled out a glass mug containing coffee, and threw it at Victim 2’s vehicle, terrifying Victim 2 and damaging their car.
The incident occurred while Victim 2 was enjoying a facility provided and administered by a state and a subdivision thereof, that is, driving on I-95.
“Every citizen is entitled to a peace and security undisturbed by the abhorrent and racist threats that took place in this case, full stop,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “No citizen has the right to inflict, and no citizen has the duty to endure, the verbal harassment and racist attacks that the defendant committed in our District.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message: hate-based violence has no place in America,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division remains committed to ensuring that all Americans feel safe in their cities and communities.”
“Today's sentencing reinforces our commitment to protecting every individual's civil rights and ensuring that those who intimidate, harass, or threaten our citizens are brought to justice,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI and our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Attorney's Office will continue to work side by side to safeguard our communities from threats of violence.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Jeanette Kang and Michelle L. Morgan and Trial Attorney Samuel Kuhn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Five Foreign Nationals Sentenced in November for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that five foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were recently sentenced.
Gerardo Antonio Estrada-Rios, 28, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Costello to 18 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Estrada-Rios had previously been removed from the U.S. in August 2016 and July 2019, and again in October 2024, after he had completed a two-year prison sentence resulting from his 2022 conviction in Houston, Texas, on a charge of “robbery – bodily injury.”
In March of this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) became aware that the defendant was incarcerated at the Lehigh County Prison in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Estrada-Rios was arrested on a federal criminal complaint and warrant in May, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in June, and pleaded guilty in August.
Julio Cesar Concepcion, 41, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney to 12 months and one day in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
In 2019, Concepcion was indicted for drug trafficking in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Following the expiration of his sentence, he was removed to the Dominican Republic in August 2021.
In April of this year, ICE encountered Concepcion in a Philadelphia parking lot. He admitted he was in the U.S. illegally and was taken into custody. The defendant was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in May and pleaded guilty in August.
Sean Christian, 35, a Jamaican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to 12 months and one day in prison and two years of supervised release for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Christian had previously been removed from the U.S. in August 2016, following his conviction that April in Maricopa County, Arizona, of attempt to transport marijuana for sale in an amount over the statutory threshold, for which he was sentenced to three years of probation with six months’ imprisonment.
ICE became aware in 2024 that Christian had reentered the U.S. illegally. After conducting surveillance to confirm his identity and location, ICE officers took him into custody in March of this year. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in April and pleaded guilty in June.
Isaac Tapia Hernandez, 35, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kai N. Scott to 10 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Tapia Hernandez had previously been removed from the U.S. in May 2019 and twice in June 2019, after he was stopped at the border by immigration authorities in Laredo, Texas.
In February of this year, ICE learned that the defendant was in Chester County Prison on an outstanding warrant, in connection with charges brought against him in April 2019 in the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County.
ICE arrested Tapia Hernandez on a federal criminal complaint and warrant in May. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in June and pleaded guilty in August.
Geysi Enecon Aguilar Montoya, 41, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro to time served, approximately three months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Montoya had previously been removed from the U.S. four times, in October 2007, November 2012, November 2013, and March 2024.
In July of this year, ICE received information that Montoya had again illegally reentered the United States. He was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in August, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in September, and pleaded guilty last month.
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 our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy Potts, Robert Schopf, and Terri Marinari.
The Breastfeeding Shop and Its Owner Agree to Pay $1 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Reimbursement for Breast Pumps and Related Equipment for TRICARE BeneficiariesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that the United States has entered a settlement agreement with Scottie Girl, LLC, d/b/a The Breastfeeding Shop, in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and its owner Patricia Gatter to resolve allegations that The Breastfeeding Shop submitted false claims for reimbursement for breast pumps and related equipment for TRICARE beneficiaries. The Breastfeeding Shop and Ms. Gatter will collectively pay the United States $1 million to resolve the allegations.
TRICARE, managed by the Defense Health Agency, is the health care program for U.S. military service members, retirees and their families worldwide. In 2015, the TRICARE program rolled out a new benefit of breast pumps and related equipment for nursing mothers.
The United States alleged that during the early years of the new benefit, The Breastfeeding Shop billed the TRICARE program hundreds of dollars more per breast pump than it charged to the Pennsylvania Medicaid Program, thereby utilizing a prohibited dual fee schedule. The United States also alleged that The Breastfeeding Shop engaged in prohibited “unbundling,” meaning The Breastfeeding Shop would take breast pump accessories that are pre-packaged and included in the standard breast pump kit and then bill TRICARE separately for each item as a replacement part.
“Durable medical equipment suppliers play a vital role in providing safe and effective medical products to patients in need, and especially to our brave service members and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “As alleged, The Breastfeeding Shop and Gatter prioritized their own financial interests through a billing scheme that was to the detriment of the government. This conduct will not be tolerated by my office.”
“Today’s settlement is a direct result of the relationship we have with our partners at the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Audit component and the Department of Justice,” stated Christopher M. Silvestro, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Northeast Field Office, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of Inspector General. He further stated, “Fraud involving TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their families, is something we take seriously and will investigate fully.”
“Protecting the integrity of the TRICARE program and ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars are top priorities for the Defense Health Agency. This settlement sends a clear message that we will not tolerate practices that exploit the program and inflate costs at the expense of our service members, veterans, and their families. Access to essential medical equipment, like breast pumps, is vital for the health and well-being of new mothers and infants within our TRICARE community. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service for their continuing dedication to the pursuit of justice,” stated Dr. Glen Diehl, Acting Deputy Director of the Defense Health Agency.
Assistant United States Attorney Judith Amorosa and former Auditor Dawn Wiggins handled the case for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The matter was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Services of the U.S. Department of Defense.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Homeland Security Task Force Established in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to Eliminate Cartels, Transnational Criminal OrganizationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the establishment of the Homeland Security Task Force in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, a focused federal effort dedicated to eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) that fuel fentanyl overdoses and deaths, inject violence into our communities, facilitate human trafficking, and exploit vulnerable communities across the city and surrounding region.
HSTF Philadelphia is part of the Department of Justice’s nationwide campaign to dismantle TCOs, following the President’s Executive Order and the Attorney General’s directive establishing Homeland Security Task Forces across the country.
Philadelphia faces unique challenges as a major metropolitan hub and port city. At the center of those challenges is the fentanyl crisis and the violence that accompanies it. As cartels pour deadly drugs into this district that do immeasurable damage, they’re also fueling gun trafficking and violent gang activity that destabilize neighborhoods and put families at risk.
From drug corners in Kensington to illegal firearms transported through the interstate corridor, HSTF Philadelphia will confront these threats head on, uniting federal, state, and local resources to identify, prosecute, and eliminate the criminal networks responsible.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will bring the most serious charges available — racketeering, continuing criminal enterprise, terrorism-related statutes, and major narcotics conspiracies — to dismantle TCOs from top to bottom. Prosecutors will also pursue human trafficking and smuggling cases, especially those exploiting minors, and will strip cartels of their financial power by seizing and forfeiting illicit assets. Where violence threatens communities, the office will move swiftly to secure detention and bring offenders to justice.
“Transnational gangs bring fentanyl, violence, and human misery into Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania. Let me be clear: they will find no safe harbor here,” said U.S Attorney Metcalf. “My office will use every federal statute, every investigative tool, and every ounce of our authority to prosecute them, dismantle their networks, and put their leaders behind bars for as long as the law allows.”
HSTF Philadelphia is co-led by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Partner agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
This announcement builds on prosecutions already under way in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Recent indictments have charged defendants allegedly tied to transnational criminal organizations and foreign distribution networks pouring millions of dollars of fentanyl, cocaine, and other illegal drugs through Philadelphia:
Humberto Gutierrez-Orozco, 37, a Mexican national illegally in the United States, was charged with trafficking over $10 million worth of cocaine from Mexico, after he attempted to smuggle these deadly drugs into and across the United States, including to Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, as alleged in court filings.
HSTF investigators conducted a covert operation after agents identified a tractor-trailer with 440 kilograms of cocaine secreted inside. As part of that operation, Gutierrez-Orozco was arrested, and the drugs were seized.
If convicted, Gutierrez-Orozco faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison.
Four defendants have been charged with allegedly trafficking bulk amounts of fentanyl, in related cases.
Victor Bueno-Fermin, 54, a Dominican national illegally in the United States, and Yesenia Duarte-Paulina, 35, of the Dominican Republic, were charged with trafficking 689 grams of fentanyl, and heroin. Bueno-Fermin was also charged with illegally reentering the United States after a prior deportation. Jose Rondon, 25, of New York, was charged with trafficking 865 grams of fentanyl, and cocaine, and Manuel Antonio Sanchez-Santos, 51, of the Dominican Republic, was charged with trafficking 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl.
Their indictments followed coordinated drug raids earlier this year in North and Northeast Philadelphia by HSTF agencies and partners. As detailed in court filings, HSTF investigators seized over three kilograms of fentanyl in the raids, which equals millions of individual doses of this dangerous drug.
If convicted, each of these defendants faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison.
Francis Rondon-Caceras, 32, a Dominican national and the alleged leader of a large-scale fentanyl trafficking organization, was charged along with seven other individuals with distributing millions of dollars' worth of fentanyl into Philadelphia, as well as Western Pennsylvania.
As alleged in the indictment, this criminal organization utilized packaging houses in Philadelphia to process bulk amounts of fentanyl, which members of the organization mixed with adulterants, including the horse tranquilizer xylazine, in order to expand their profit margins and to “boost” and extend the drugs’ effects.
As further alleged in court filings, HSTF partners caught the defendants trafficking over 10 kilograms of fentanyl, and over $185,000 in drug proceeds was seized during the investigation.
Donald Griffin, 32; Francisco Quezada, 41; Alexi Quezada, 36; Juan Fransella-Jose, 36; Alexander Rodriguez Crouset, 38; Victor Jose Herrera Castillo, 44; and Juan Ortiz, 35, were charged in the indictment, along with Rondon-Caceres. Except for Griffin, of Allegheny County, Pa., the defendants in this case are Dominican nationals illegally in the United States.
If convicted, each of these defendants faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison.
These cases demonstrate how federal prosecutions can both disrupt the flow of deadly drugs into our region and eliminate criminal drug trafficking organizations operating here.
“Our neighborhoods deserve to be free from the grip of cartels and gangs that traffic in drugs, guns, and people,” U.S. Attorney Metcalf said. “HSTF Philadelphia is about more than prosecutions — it’s about protecting families, restoring safety, and ensuring that no community in our district is left vulnerable to the reach of transnational criminal organizations.”
HSTF Philadelphia is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments above are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Three Philadelphia Men Charged in Connection with a String of Summer CarjackingsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Rasheen Harvey-Fields, 18, Tavon Fry, 20, and Saair Steele, 21, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiring to commit, and committing, multiple carjackings, and related firearms offenses.
Harvey-Fields and Fry made their initial appearances in federal court in Philadelphia this week and Steele made his initial appearance last week. All three are detained in federal custody.
The superseding indictment alleges that, from approximately June 25, 2025, until at least July 11, 2025, the defendants and others conspired to steal at gunpoint numerous vehicles, often using the vehicles they carjacked to commit other crimes, including robbery, aggravated assault, and more carjackings.
As further alleged, the defendants sometimes used the pretense of buying or selling marijuana to mislead their victims and facilitate the carjackings, and other times targeted individuals who were exiting their vehicles.
The three defendants are charged with conspiring to commit a total of 11 carjackings, all in Philadelphia, with the alleged participants in each carjacking noted:
June 25, 2025 – 1400 block of Bouvier Street (Harvey-Fields and others)
June 28, 2025 – 3100 block of West Arizona Street (Harvey-Fields and others)
June 29, 2025 – 3100 block of West Arizona Street (Harvey-Fields, Fry, and others)
July 1, 2025 – 11th and Wallace streets (Harvey-Fields and others)
July 3, 2025 – 1700 block of North 60th Street (Harvey-Fields, Steele, and others)
July 3, 2025 – 700 block of South 55th Street (Harvey-Fields, Steele, and others)
July 3, 2025 – 6000 block of North 5th Street (Harvey-Fields and others)
July 6, 2025 – 6100 block of West Girard Avenue (Harvey-Fields and others)
July 6, 2025 – 600 block of West Cumberland Street (Harvey-Fields, Steele, and others)
July 7, 2025 – 3100 block of West Arizona Street (Harvey-Fields and others)
July 7, 2025 – 2100 block of Natrona Street (Harvey-Fields and others)
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Branwen McNabb O’Donnell and Shannon Zabel.
The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jeffrey Hernandez, 40, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, the statutory maximum sentence allowed by law, and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone for illegal possession of a firearm by felon.
Hernandez was charged by superseding information and pleaded guilty in August of this year.
As detailed in case filings and admitted to by the defendant, Hernandez possessed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol loaded with 30 live rounds of ammunition, despite knowing that he was not permitted to possess a firearm given his status as a convicted felon.
As further detailed in court documents and hearings, Hernandez was found in possession of the firearm after the FBI and Philadelphia police received credible information that the defendant and three other men were on their way to kill someone in retaliation for an earlier shooting.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Martin and Special Assistant United States Attorney Meagan Gordon.
Honduran National, Illegally in U.S., Sentenced to Seven Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Marvin Enrique Pena-Portillo, 38, a Honduran national unlawfully residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to seven months in prison and two years of supervised release by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez for possession of a firearm by a felon.
Pena-Portillo was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in April of this year and charged by information in June. He pleaded guilty in July, waiving prosecution by indictment.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on April 15, 2025, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents arrested the defendant for immigration violations, Pena-Portillo had a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol in his waistband.
In August of 2024, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Pena-Portillo had pleaded guilty to carrying an illegal firearm in public and was sentenced to two years of probation for that offense.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Eckert.
City Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Committing Series of Violent Armed Carjackings and Robberies in PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Khalil Dickens, 22, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison, five years’ supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for committing a series of violent armed carjackings and robberies in the summer of 2023.
The defendant was charged by indictment in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in July of this year to conspiracy, eight counts of carjacking, and three counts of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, between approximately June 2023 and July 2023, Dickens and others took part in seven armed carjackings, an attempted armed carjacking, 11 additional gunpoint robberies, and one receipt of a carjacked car, all in the city of Philadelphia. A number of these crimes involved the perpetrators physically assaulting, pistol-whipping, or even shooting, or shooting at, their victims.
“Khalil Dickens and his associates created their own crime wave, committing some 20 violent gunpoint robberies and carjackings in six weeks,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We simply will not permit dangerous criminals to run around our city terrorizing innocent people. As Dickens can now attest, anyone violently victimizing others like this should be ready to spend not just years, but decades, in prison.”
“With Khalil Dickens sentenced to a quarter century in federal prison, a dangerous criminal is taken off Philadelphia’s streets,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Dickens and the other perpetrators physically assaulted and even shot at the victims of their many carjackings and robberies. Working with our Carjacking Task Force partners we are using the ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools to stop criminals and protect our communities.”
“Violent carjackings and armed robberies cause fear in our neighborhoods and inflict real trauma on the people we serve,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: if you choose to commit violent crimes in Philadelphia, you will be held fully accountable. I want to thank our federal partners and the dedicated investigators of the Philadelphia Police Department who worked tirelessly to bring this individual to justice. Together, we will continue to pursue those who harm our residents and work every day to make our city safer.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to More than 22 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Commit Violent Armed Home Invasions Targeting Business Owners and Their FamiliesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Shaquan Brown, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe on Thursday to 272 months’ incarceration for conspiracy to commit armed home invasion robberies targeting the businesses and attached residences of their owners, as well as robbery affecting interstate commerce and attempted robbery affecting interstate commerce, using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of robbery, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Brown was charged by indictment with these crimes in August 2020 and convicted at trial on April 16, 2024.
From November 2019 through January 3, 2020, Brown and three co-conspirators conspired to carry out a series of robberies that targeted business owners and another individual that they believed would keep cash in their home. The offenders used zip ties, duct tape, and firearms to commit these crimes. Brown researched his victims and their businesses, using a GPS tracking device to learn where the victims lived. The defendant and his co-conspirators targeted victims they believed kept cash in their homes, including business owners who were Asian and other business owners who dealt in cash.
On the night of December 31, 2019, Brown and two co-conspirators accosted the owner of a nail salon in Delaware County, Pa., as the owner returned to the business. The offenders forced the victim inside, and repeatedly demanded money, placing zip ties on the owner’s wrists, covering his mouth with duct tape, and striking his face with their fists and a gun. The men took cash from the business, then forced the owner to his residence, where they encountered his wife, their children, and their nanny. The men zip-tied the wife and all of their children, then continued to beat and injure the owner, and demand money. They ransacked the residence while making statements such as “we have been watching you for weeks.”
On the morning of January 3, 2020, Brown and another individual attempted to break into a residence in Chester County, Pa. The defendant had planned to commit an armed home invasion robbery of the homeowner, who was a business owner, and his family, to steal the owner’s business proceeds. While attempting to enter the victim’s home, the home security alarm system went off, and the police responded within minutes. The defendant led the police on a foot chase through the woods and into a creek, where he was arrested. The police recovered duct tape, zip ties, and a firearm from the defendant’s backpack.
“What Shaquan Brown and his crew put their victims through was utterly horrifying,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “No one should have to endure a violent ambush in their home or business, be brutally beaten, and see their family traumatized. Today’s sentence ensures that Brown’s home invasion days are over. We will not permit criminals who’d rather take money than make it to terrorize innocent people and whole communities.”
“Shaquan Brown violently terrorized his victims in their business and in the sanctity of their home,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “He is now going to federal prison where he will no longer endanger his neighborhood. ATF Philadelphia Field Division has a long history of partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we will continue to work tirelessly together to ensure justice for the victims and to make our communities safer.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Carissimi and J. Jeanette Kang, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Doherty.
Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial of Two Commercial Robberies, Murder of Gas Station AttendantRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Chihean Jones, aka “Cha,” 40, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted this afternoon at trial of two commercial robberies in the city and the murder of a gas station attendant during one of those robberies.
Jones was charged by second superseding indictment in January 2024 with two counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), murder in the course of using and carrying a firearm, and using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. A federal jury found him guilty on all counts.
As proven at trial, on August 22, 2022, the defendant drove two other men to a cell phone store on the 100 block of East Olney Avenue. While Jones waited in his Chevrolet Suburban, the two others went inside the store, forced their way into a back room, and stole multiple cell phones. The three men then fled the scene in the defendant’s Suburban.
As further proven at trial, on January 17, 2023, Jones, accompanied by his girlfriend and two other men, drove the Suburban to a gas station on the 7100 block of Torresdale Avenue, which the group intended to rob. They planned to wait for the gas station attendant to leave the store to smoke a cigarette, at which point the defendant would approach with his .45-caliber pistol. The two men accompanying Jones would zip tie the attendant and force him back into the station to open the safe.
When the attendant failed to exit, however, the group sent the defendant’s girlfriend into the store to see what was happening and to determine if the men could kick in the door to the register area. After she reported back, the three men entered the store. Immediately upon entering, Jones pushed his pistol under the protective glass and shot the attendant in the back as the attendant tried to run away. Jones and the two men ransacked the store and stole the attendant’s wallet as he lay dying on the floor.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 26 and faces a maximum possible term of life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Parisi and Amanda McCool.
Philadelphia Felon Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Norman Copper, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 540 months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney for drug and gun crimes.
In March of this year, the defendant was convicted at trial of one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession of firearms by a felon.
He was charged with those offenses by superseding indictment in June 2024.
In December 2023, the Upper Merion Township Police Department had received information from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Parole Field Services that Copper, who was on state parole at the time for attempted murder, had been intercepted on recorded prison calls and video visits that suggested he might be involved in narcotics sales and/or the illegal possession of firearms. As a condition of his parole, Copper wore a GPS monitor.
As proven at trial, GPS location data indicated that he spent many early morning hours at an unapproved area in King of Prussia, Pa., which investigators determined was the apartment of his then-girlfriend. Through physical and video surveillance, Upper Merion detectives saw Copper entering and exiting the apartment on many occasions, often heading in the direction of what was later learned to be a storage unit associated with his girlfriend’s apartment.
In January of last year, law enforcement served search warrants on the apartment and storage unit, seizing more than a pound and a half of methamphetamine, three semiautomatic handguns, one of them equipped with a silencer, and one AK-style semiautomatic rifle, weapons that he was not permitted to possess due to his previous felony conviction.
“Again and again, Norman Copper has flouted the law and chosen to engage in criminal activity that endangered the community,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He was deeply involved in the distribution of large quantities of meth — and heavily armed to protect his profits, product, and drug dealer persona. Our office and our partners are working every day to put dangerous offenders like him behind bars, to make the public safer.”
“This case is another example of our law enforcement cooperation to prevent violent crime,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Copper, who was on parole for attempted murder, was heavily armed and loaded with drugs. Working with the Upper Merion Township Police Department, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, and Assistant United States Attorneys, Copper will no longer threaten his neighborhood.”
The case was investigated by the Upper Merion Township Police Department, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Mills and Justin Ashenfelter.
Upper Darby Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Defrauding a Religious Organization and a Political OrganizationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Willie Jordan, 68, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to one year in prison, one year of supervised release, $142,991 in restitution, and forfeiture of $142,991 by United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III for two separate fraud schemes Jordan conducted.
The defendant was charged by information with two counts of wire fraud and pleaded guilty in July of this year.
As detailed in court filings and statements made in court, Jordan was a deacon and trustee for Religious Organization #1, located in Philadelphia, Pa. Jordan was responsible for managing and overseeing various financial matters involving Religious Organization #1, including collecting funds for the organization, depositing those funds in the organization’s bank accounts, and paying the organization’s expenses.
Religious Organization #1 placed Jordan in a position of trust and allowed him to exercise almost total control over its funds. The defendant did not receive a salary from Religious Organization #1. Rather, he received his salary from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he was a Director of Operations for a state senator.
From at least in or about January 2020 through at least in or about January 2024, Jordan exploited Religious Organization #1 for his personal financial benefit. On a regular basis, the defendant improperly issued checks to himself from Religious Organization #1’s business checking account, and made it appear that such checks were to reimburse him for expenses that he incurred on behalf of Religious Organization #1. In fact, Jordan did not incur those expenses and simply issued those checks for his personal benefit. The defendant engaged in this activity fraudulently and without the knowledge or permission of Religious Organization #1, its trustees, or members.
As part of this scheme, Jordan issued approximately 82 fraudulent checks to himself totaling approximately $57,384, resulting in significant losses to Religious Organization #1.
As presented in court filings and statements, Political Organization #1 was one of 66 wards in Philadelphia and a subdivision of Political Organization #2, which represented the interests of a political party in the City of Philadelphia.
From in or about 1996 through in or about April 2025, the defendant was the elected leader of Political Organization #1 and controlled and managed the organization’s finances. Jordan did not receive a salary from Political Organization #1.
From at least in or about January 2020, through at least in or about January 2024, Jordan exploited Political Organization #1 for his personal financial benefit. He opened two bank accounts in name of Political Organization #1, made himself the sole signatory on the accounts in the name of Political Organization #1, and obtained, for both accounts, debit cards that he controlled.
On a regular basis, the defendant improperly conducted financial transactions, through debit card charges, checks, and ATM cash withdrawals, using Political Organization #1’s bank accounts to transfer the funds of Political Organization #1 to himself or others, for his personal benefit.
Jordan used Political Organization #1’s funds for personal purchases at airlines, car dealerships, furniture stores, grocery stores, and other retail establishments. He also used those funds to pay his personal credit card bills, utility bills, and cellular telephone bills. In or about the summer of 2023, Jordan used the funds of Political Organization #1 to pay more than $12,500 in expenses for a family member’s funeral. The defendant engaged in these personal financial transactions without any benefit flowing to Political Organization #1 and without the knowledge or permission of any of its members.
As part of this scheme, Jordan defrauded Political Organization #1 and its members of at least $85,607.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen and Special Assistant United States Attorney James E. Price.
New York Pair Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Possess, Distribute Some 40 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Vanessa Velez, 51, and Felix Mendez, 44, both of New York, New York, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage for conspiring to possess and distribute bulk amounts of powder cocaine shipped from El Paso, Texas, to Philadelphia.
Velez was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $325,000, and Mendez to 18 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $325,000.
The defendants were charged by indictment in January of this year. In August, they each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine, and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine.
As detailed in court filings, Velez and Mendez traveled together to Philadelphia with a duffel bag containing approximately $325,000 in U.S. currency. On October 29, 2024, in a South Philadelphia parking lot, they exchanged the cash-filled bag for two other duffel bags, which they believed contained cocaine. The defendants then drove away.
Shortly thereafter, Philadelphia police stopped the defendants’ Range Rover in the area of 59 E. Oregon Avenue. Both Mendez and Velez were detained, and investigators recovered the two bags containing the “sham” kilograms of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Philadelphia Police Department as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Diviny.
Lehigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Scheme That Defrauded Victims of Nearly $2 MillionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Chinedu Ekuma, 45, of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge John M. Gallagher on two counts of wire fraud, in connection with a scheme that defrauded victims of nearly $2 million.
The defendant was charged by information earlier this month.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from about August 2020 through March 2023, Ekuma devised a scheme to defraud victims and to obtain money and property of these victims by materially false pretenses, representations, and promises. The victims were individuals and businesses that intended to make payments to businesses and individuals for personal and/or business reasons.
Ekuma owned entities called Intelaris Solutions, LLC (“Intelaris Solutions”) and Verge Capital (“Verge Capital”), and opened several bank accounts in the name of these entities.
He and others caused the fraud victims to send payments to the Intelaris Solutions and Verge Capital bank accounts, by falsely representing to the victims that those accounts were associated with the businesses and individuals who the victims intended to pay, when, in fact, the Intelaris Solutions and Verge Capital bank accounts were controlled by Ekuma, and Intelaris Solutions and Verge Capital had no legitimate relationship with any of the victims.
As part of the scheme, the defendant and co-schemers created, or caused the creation of, fraudulent documentation that falsely represented that Intelaris Solutions and Verge Capital were entitled to payments from the victims.
After the fraud proceeds were received into the Intelaris Solutions and Verge Capital bank accounts, Ekuma transferred most of the fraud proceeds to other co-schemers and retained other amounts of the fraud proceeds for himself.
In total, Ekuma and the others caused the Intelaris Solutions and Verge Capital bank accounts to receive more than $1.75 million from fraud victims and attempted to cause these accounts to receive over $650,000 more from fraud victims.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12 and faces a maximum possible term of 40 years in prison.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis Weber.