Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former Philadelphia Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Bank FraudRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Darryl T. Wells, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky to bank fraud.
Wells was charged by indictment in January of this year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, in December 2018 and January 2019, while employed as a Deputy Sheriff Officer with the City of Philadelphia, Wells submitted eight fraudulent loan and credit applications to financial institutions in which he falsely and materially overstated his monthly income and, in some instances, attached forged paystubs.
In total, Wells received $145,000 in fraudulently obtained proceeds, which he immediately spent or transferred, and the financial institutions were not repaid.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3 and faces a maximum possible term of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel Dalke.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing Threatening Communications to Jewish Institutions and Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced that Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, Maryland, entered a plea of guilty today before U.S. District Judge Mark A. Kearney on 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, arising from numerous threats sent to Jewish organizations and entities.
“We welcome today’s guilty plea, which holds the defendant accountable for sending threatening communications intended to intimidate Jewish individuals based on their religion,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “The Division holds a zero-tolerance policy for antisemitic threats, and will continue to vigorously prosecute such violations of federal civil rights laws.”
Seferlis was charged with those offenses by information last month, following his arrest in June on a criminal complaint and warrant in connection with such threats.
As presented in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from at least March 2024 through at least June 2025, Seferlis used the United States mail to transmit at least 40 letters and at least two postcards to more than 25 Jewish organizations and entities located in multiple jurisdictions, including, but not limited to, synagogues, Jewish museums, Jewish community centers, Jewish schools, Jewish non-profit organizations, and a Jewish delicatessen. In many of these letters and postcards, Seferlis threatened to destroy physical buildings and/or to injure individuals.
Specifically, Seferlis caused the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to deliver threatening communications to these institutions on or about the following dates:
- Jewish Institution 1, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
- (March 6, 2024; January 24, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 2, an entity in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- (April 4, 2024; July 29, 2024; January 18, 2025; March 5, 2025; May 7, 2025; May 9, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 3, an entity in Fairfax, Virginia
- (January 18, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 4, a synagogue in Gaithersburg, Maryland
- (February 3, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 5, an entity in Fairfax, Virginia
- (February 7, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 6, a synagogue in Hagerstown, Maryland
- (March 2025)
- Jewish Institution 7, an entity in Rockville, Maryland
- (May 12, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 8, an entity in Washington, D.C.
- (May 29, 2025; June 3, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 9, an entity in Washington, D.C.
- (June 3, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 10, a synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts
- (June 3, 2025)
Each communication listed above contained a threat to injure the occupants of the receiving institution.
As court filings further detail, the defendant, by threat of force, intentionally obstructed and attempted to obstruct congregants and other attendees in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs, by threatening to harm the occupants of:
- Jewish Institution 1, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
- (March 6, 2024; January 24, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 11, a synagogue in Rockville, Maryland
- (January 25, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 12, a synagogue in Falls Church, Virginia
- (January 31, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 13, a synagogue in Gaithersburg, Maryland
- (February 3, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 14, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
- (February 10, 2025)
- Jewish Institution 15, a synagogue in Hagerstown, Maryland
- (March 2025)
- Jewish Institution 16, a synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts
- (June 3, 2025)
Further, the offenses against Jewish Institution 12, Jewish Institution 13, Jewish Institution 14, and Jewish Institution 15 included the threatened use of a dangerous weapon, fire, or explosives.
Seferlis waived venue as to those institutions and synagogues not in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and agreed to be charged in this District.
Seferlis is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16. He faces a maximum penalty of 169 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $5,650,000 fine.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia, with assistance from FBI Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Montgomery County (Md.) Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s Greenbelt office. The Anti-Defamation League, Secure Community Network, and Delaware Valley Intelligence Center also provided assistance with this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Mark Dubnoff for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
- Jewish Institution 1, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing Threatening Communications to Jewish Institutions and Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, Maryland, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney on 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, arising from numerous threats sent to Jewish organizations and entities.
Seferlis was charged with those offenses by information last month, following his arrest in June on a criminal complaint and warrant in connection with such threats.
As presented in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from at least March 2024 through at least June 2025, Seferlis used the United States mail to transmit at least 40 letters and at least two postcards to more than 25 Jewish organizations and entities located in multiple jurisdictions, including, but not limited to, synagogues, Jewish museums, Jewish community centers, Jewish schools, Jewish non-profit organizations, and a Jewish delicatessen. In many of these letters and postcards, Seferlis threatened to destroy physical buildings and/or to injure individuals.
Specifically, Seferlis caused the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) to deliver threatening communications to these institutions on or about the following dates:
Jewish Institution 1, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
(March 6, 2024; January 24, 2025)
Jewish Institution 2, an entity in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(April 4, 2024; July 29, 2024; January 18, 2025; March 5, 2025; May 7, 2025; May 9, 2025)
Jewish Institution 3, an entity in Fairfax, Virginia
(January 18, 2025)
Jewish Institution 4, a synagogue in Gaithersburg, Maryland
(February 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 5, an entity in Fairfax, Virginia
(February 7, 2025)
Jewish Institution 6, a synagogue in Hagerstown, Maryland
(March 2025)
Jewish Institution 7, an entity in Rockville, Maryland
(May 12, 2025)
Jewish Institution 8, an entity in Washington, D.C.
(May 29, 2025; June 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 9, an entity in Washington, D.C.
(June 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 10, a synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts
(June 3, 2025)
Each communication listed above contained a threat to injure the occupants of the receiving institution.
As court filings further detail, the defendant, by threat of force, intentionally obstructed and attempted to obstruct congregants and other attendees in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs, by threatening to harm the occupants of:
Jewish Institution 1, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
(March 6, 2024; January 24, 2025)
Jewish Institution 11, a synagogue in Rockville, Maryland
(January 25, 2025)
Jewish Institution 12, a synagogue in Falls Church, Virginia
(January 31, 2025)
Jewish Institution 13, a synagogue in Gaithersburg, Maryland
(February 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 14, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
(February 10, 2025)
Jewish Institution 15, a synagogue in Hagerstown, Maryland
(March 2025)
Jewish Institution 16, a synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts
(June 3, 2025)
Further, the offenses against Jewish Institution 12, Jewish Institution 13, Jewish Institution 14, and Jewish Institution 15 included the threatened use of a dangerous weapon, fire, or explosives.
Seferlis waived venue as to those institutions and synagogues not in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and agreed to be charged in this District.
Seferlis is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 169 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $5,650,000 fine.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia, with assistance from FBI Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Montgomery County (Md.) Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s Greenbelt office. The Anti-Defamation League, Secure Community Network, and Delaware Valley Intelligence Center also provided assistance with this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
Aesculap Implant Systems Agrees to Pay $38.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to Knee Implant FailuresRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf and the Department of Justice announced today that medical device company Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC (“Aesculap”), based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $38.5 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that the company sold knee replacement devices that it knew would fail prematurely at a higher than acceptable rate, resulting in false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.
The settlement further resolves allegations that the company paid unlawful remuneration to a physician to induce him to use the knee implants. Additionally, Aesculap agreed to a non-prosecution agreement with the United States in connection with its distribution of two medical devices without the required clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The civil settlement announced today resolves allegations that, from July 30, 2010, to June 17, 2023, Aesculap sold the VEGA System® Knee System, a line of prosthetic implants used in knee replacement surgeries, while knowing that it would fail prematurely at a higher than acceptable rate and, therefore, was not reasonable and necessary for use during knee replacement surgeries. In such surgeries, physicians remove arthritic bone in the knee and implant a device, which is fixed in place with bone cement. The United States alleged that the Vega was prone to becoming loose from patient’s bone prematurely, often shortly after surgery. Patients experiencing loosening could have pain, instability, and difficulty walking, and such patients required a revision surgery to remove and replace the Vega implant. The United States alleged that Aesculap knew shortly after the Vega was released in the United States that bone cement did not properly adhere to the implant. Despite this knowledge, Aesculap sold the Vega to physicians and hospitals in the United States without disclosing this known problem with the device. The United States also alleged that Aesculap failed to take steps to record, track, or report adverse events for the Vega and did not take adequate steps to remediate the problem. As of April 2024, Aesculap stopped selling all of its knee replacement devices, including the Vega, in the United States.
The settlement also resolves allegations that Aesculap knowingly and willfully made unlawful payments to an orthopedic surgeon located in Georgia who experienced problems with the Vega with the intent to induce him to use and recommend the Vega Knee System, in violation of the Anti- Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7b(b). This remuneration took the form of consulting payments, free international travel, and entertainment, among other things.
“Doctors who implant medical devices need complete and accurate information about those devices to ensure they choose the best and safest options for their patients,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “A company that knows its product has a propensity to prematurely fail must not mislead doctors or government regulators or conceal material information about those known issues. Medicare and other federal programs should not be required to pay charges for devices that are unduly risky, and that may require painful and expensive surgeries to fix.”
“Medical device failures — and their potential to harm patients — are of paramount concern to the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will hold accountable medical device companies that knowingly sell products prone to failure that present risks to patients and waste taxpayer dollars.”
“Transparency in medical device marketing is essential to safeguarding patient care,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Undermining this process to increase profits is a serious violation of federal law that flouts the health and safety of patients. HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to uncover and dismantle illegal arrangements that exploit the Medicare system for financial gain at the expense of patients.”
In addition to the civil settlement, Aesculap agreed to enter into a non-prosecution agreement related to the introduction of two medical devices into interstate commerce in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) from March 2017 until August 2017. The two devices at issue are the ELAN-4 Air Drill, a high-speed surgical drill used for bone cutting, sawing, and drilling, and the JS Series SterilContainer S2, a reusable sterilization container for medical instruments. According to the non-prosecution agreement, Aesculap tasked an employee with shepherding both medical devices through the FDA clearance process, but the employee never submitted any documentation to FDA. He then forged multiple documents to reflect both devices were cleared by FDA to be marketed in the United States when FDA had not done so resulting in the illegal introduction of both devices into interstate commerce. The employee previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to violating the FDCA and was sentenced to prison.
“Certain medical devices require FDA notification and clearance before distribution to the public,” stated FDA Metro Washington Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Ronald Dawkins. “Distributing such medical devices without FDA clearance and in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act can put patients at risk. The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) worked with the Justice Department and HHS-OIG to ensure a just resolution, and we commend the exceptional work done by the team.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by John Marien, Michael McGee, and Brad Stafford. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Marien & McGee v. Aesculap Inc., et al., no. 5:19-cv-1618 (E.D. Pa.) and United States ex rel. Stafford v. B. Braun Medical Inc., et al., no. 4:19-cv-4108 (E.D. Pa.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; and the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch, with assistance from HHS-OIG, FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel, and FDA-OCI.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The civil matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Charlene Keller Fullmer and Erin Lindgren of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Senior Trial Counsel Nicholas C. Perros of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
The criminal matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Max J. Goldman and Bryson N. Gillard of the Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch, former Assistant United States Attorney M. Beth Leahy of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, FDA-OCI, and HHS-OIG.
Except for the facts that Aesculap admitted as part of the non-prosecution agreement, the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Maryland Man, Twice Convicted at Trial of Making Violent Threats Against Federal Judges, Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Keith Dougherty, 70, of College Park, Maryland, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh for making violent threats against federal judges.
The defendant was charged by indictment in July 2024. In May of this year, Dougherty was convicted at trial of one count of threatening to assault and murder United States judges with the intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with them while they were engaged in the performance of official duties, and with the intent to retaliate against them on account of their performance of official duties, and three counts of mailing threatening communications.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, the defendant mailed and/or filed motions containing threatening language directed at federal judges, on numerous occasions and in several federal districts. He had already been prosecuted and convicted by a federal jury in December of 2021 for such filings and served a 41-month prison term in that case, followed by a three-year period of supervised release.
Just months into that supervised release, he uttered more threatening communications, so his supervised release was revoked, and he was returned to prison. While back in prison serving the violation sentence, he again mailed and/or filed the same sort of threatening language, resulting in the July 2024 charges and May trial conviction.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph LaBar.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Lancaster County Man Pleads Guilty to Bomb Hoax Targeting the 2024 U.S. OpenRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Aidan Getchius, 21, of Strasburg, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to one count of conveying false information and hoaxes.
The defendant was charged with that offense by information in September of this year. With today’s plea, he has waived prosecution by indictment.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on September 2, 2024, at 12:12 p.m., the United States Tennis Association (“USTA”) was sent a threat via direct message on X (formerly known as Twitter), stating that “I’m inside Louis Armstrong with a bomb that will go off at 1 pm est.” The message was sent from the X profile “GetchiSoto,” an account created and operated by Getchius.
At the time, a Round of 16 (quarterfinals) match in the United States Open women’s division was in progress in the Louis Armstrong Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York. The stadium was not evacuated, but the New York Police Department conducted a sweep for explosive devices.
While Getchius claimed in the direct message to have a bomb in Louis Armstrong Stadium, he knew he did not possess an explosive device in or near the stadium and was merely seeking to disrupt the women’s match in progress.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10 and faces a maximum possible term of five years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Berks County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Matthew McKinney, 27, of Reading, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. on one count each of distribution of child pornography and receipt of child pornography.
McKinney was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in August of this year and charged by information in October. With today’s plea, he has waived prosecution by indictment.
As detailed in court documents, the defendant came to investigators’ attention based on his communications with the subject of an FBI New York investigation into the Telegram account “Steve Jobs” @perv_94, which was used to trade child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with other Telegram users.
In reviewing the “Steve Jobs” @perv_94 Telegram account, FBI New York observed communications between it and a Telegram user with the display name of “Unknown 69.” The communications contained both the distribution and receipt of CSAM.
Specifically, on May 26, 2025, the “Steve Jobs” @perv_94 Telegram account sent the “Unknown 69” account approximately 80 video files containing CSAM that primarily depicted female children, some of whom were pre-pubescent, engaging in sexual conduct.
On July 29, 2025, the “Unknown 69” account then sent “Steve Jobs” @perv_94 four files containing CSAM, including depictions of pre-pubescent children engaging in sexual conduct. The “Unknown 69” account additionally sent a MEGA link, which contained approximately 1,100 video files containing CSAM, including depictions of pre-pubescent children engaged in sexual conduct. Some of the video files shared between the accounts depicted the sexual abuse of children as young as infants and toddlers.
After obtaining subscriber information and other records, FBI Allentown agents determined that McKinney was the user of “Unknown 69” account, which McKinney subsequently admitted in an interview.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on February 25 and faces a maximum possible term of 40 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison; five years up to a lifetime of supervised release; a $500,000 fine; mandatory restitution of at least $3,000 per victim; and additional financial assessments.
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 Allentown Resident Agency and FBI New York and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca J. Kulik.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Business Owner Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Fraud and Money Laundering SchemesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Zaven Yeghiazaryan, 45, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 64 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $118,205.94 in restitution, and $151,300 in fines and assessments by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for fraud and money laundering schemes.
In August 2024, Yeghiazaryan was charged by indictment with conspiracy, health care fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. He pleaded guilty in May of this year.
As detailed in court filings, the charges arose from the defendant’s commission of fraud offenses targeting, among others, government programs, including through the use of shell companies and false identities, between January 2020 and April 2024.
Yeghiazaryan’s fraud targeted two government programs that offered relief during the Covid-19 pandemic: the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. In addition, the defendant admitted that he participated in a scheme to defraud Medicaid.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the State Department. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran and Assistant United States Attorney Mary E. Crawley.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to over 7½ Years in Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Shawn Eubanks, 51, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 92 months in prison and two years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joshua D. Wolson for possession of a firearm by a felon.
The defendant was charged by indictment with that offense in September 2024 and pleaded guilty in May.
As detailed in court filings, at approximately 1 a.m. on July 2, 2024, two officers with the Philadelphia Police Department (“PPD”) were outside the 39th District building at West Erie Avenue and West Hunting Park Avenue, when they heard a single gunshot from about a block away. Both officers drove towards the sound of the shot in their police vehicles and observed two males fighting on the 2100 block of West Hunting Park Avenue.
As the officers arrived, the two men separated and one of them, later identified as the defendant, started running toward a residence on that block. One of the officers noticed that Eubanks was carrying a firearm in his right hand and yelled out, “Gun!”
Eubanks ran up the steps of a nearby residence, opening the screen door and then the rowhome’s front door, with one of the police officers close behind. The officer saw the defendant swing his right arm to the right, as Eubanks stepped into the home’s enclosed porch area. Eubanks continued through another doorway and into the living room, where he sat down on a sofa.
The PPD officers followed Eubanks as he entered and observed Eubanks sitting on the couch with his hands on his knees. One of the officers handcuffed Eubanks while looking around him for a firearm, and asked Eubanks, “Where’s the gun? Where’s the gun?” Eubanks replied, “What gun?”
After escorting Eubanks out to a waiting police car, one of the officers began looking around the porch area and observed a firearm laying on top of a trash bag on the floor. The gun, collected as evidence, was determined to be a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol with serial numbers obliterated. Eubanks was not permitted to possess the firearm, due to his status as a convicted felon.
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 Thomas M. Zaleski.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Vehicle Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Elinson Camacho, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 108 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $455,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Michael M. Baylson for wire fraud and related charges arising from a scheme to sell cars to victims and then steal the vehicles back.
Camacho was charged by indictment in May 2024 with 18 counts of wire fraud and pleaded guilty to all counts in February of this year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from about December 9, 2021, to July 24, 2022, Camacho and others devised a scheme to defraud Victim 1 and Victim 2. As part of the scheme, Camacho would arrange for vehicles to be rented and then arrange for those vehicles to be offered for sale on the internet, with the false claim that they would be sold with clear titles.
After the victims paid for the vehicles, Camacho and others would then steal the cars back, using vehicle key fobs that they had retained.
In December 2021, Camacho and the co-schemers caused a rented 2021 Toyota 4Runner Sport to be posted for sale online. They communicated and later met with Victim 1, who paid Camacho and a co-schemer $24,000 in cash for the vehicle. The next day, Camacho and the co-schemers caused the 4Runner to be stolen from its parking space outside Victim 1’s residence.
In July 2022, Camacho and the others repeated the scheme, renting and posting for sale online a 2022 Honda CR-V. They communicated and later met with Victim 2, who paid Camacho and two others $15,000 in cash and $4,000 by check to purchase the CR-V. Two days later, Camacho and the co-schemers caused the CR-V to be stolen from Victim 2’s residence.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Northampton Township Police Department, and the Towamencin Township Police Department, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney S. Chandler Harris.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Man Who Committed Three Armed Robberies in Three Days Sentenced to More Than 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tyree Hatch, aka Jamal Morris and Omar Reed, 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 306 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for the armed robberies of three Northeast Philadelphia businesses in November 2024.
The defendant was charged by indictment in January of this year and pleaded guilty in July to three counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, one count of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
As detailed in court documents and admitted to by the defendant, on November 23, 2024, at approximately 1:12 p.m., Hatch entered a convenience store located on the 6700 block of Castor Avenue, made conversation with an employee (Victim 1), then brandished his firearm. The defendant placed the gun into Victim 1’s back and walked him to the cash register. Hatch then grabbed money, Victim 1’s iPhone, and boxes of Newport cigarettes and fled the scene. Video recovered after the robbery showed the defendant entering a black Ford Explorer with Pennsylvania tags.
On November 24, 2024, at approximately 9 p.m., the defendant entered a smoke shop located on the 2000 block of Cottman Avenue, confronted an employee (Victim 2) and demanded money from the register. During the interaction, Hatch pulled out a firearm, and, believing the gun was fake, Victim 2 tried to disarm him. The gun went off during the struggle and Victim 2 suffered a gunshot wound to the shin. Hatch then fled the store with cash from the register. Video recovered after the robbery showed the defendant driving the same black Ford Explorer as the day prior.
On November 25, 2024, at approximately 3:45 p.m., officers with the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) were dispatched to a smoke and vape shop located on the 7100 block of Castor Avenue, in response to a robbery in progress. Upon their arrival, an employee (Victim 3) informed them that the armed robber had taken cash, an iPhone, a carton of Newport cigarettes, and boxes of cigars.
Aware of the previous two robberies, PPD officers surveyed the area for the black Ford Explorer and found it parked outside the defendant’s residence. Hatch was then seen entering the home, and a barricade was declared. The defendant soon exited the residence and was placed under arrest.
This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina Coker and Linwood C. Wright Jr.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Surreptitiously Taking Explicit Photos, Videos of a Child Through Her Bedroom WindowRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that David Bolwell, 59, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 235 months in prison, 15 years of supervised release, and $43,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for the manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, arising from Bolwell’s surreptitious photographing and video-recording of a 14-year-old child through her bedroom window for approximately three years, his production of hundreds of sexually explicit images of the child, and his collection of more than 1,200 sexually explicit images and videos of children that he downloaded from the internet.
The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in February of this year, charged by indictment in March, and pleaded guilty in May.
As detailed in court filings, on February 3, 2025, the 14-year-old victim reported that she was walking home from school when an unknown man approached her from behind, called her by name, and gave her a handwritten letter, whispering that she should “open it in private.” The child did not open the letter and instead turned it over to her mother, who contacted the Philadelphia Police Department after reading the sexually explicit contents.
Subsequent investigation by Philadelphia police located video footage confirming the identification of the defendant, and search warrants led to the seizure and search of his cell phone.
An FBI forensic review found more than 3,800 images of the child victim, over 400 of which were found to constitute child pornography; at least 300 additional images of minor girls, including two of the victim’s friends, which appear to have been taken from online social media accounts; and more than 1,200 additional images of child pornography taken from the internet, depicting mainly prepubescent children being sexually abused by adult men.
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 Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Five Foreign Nationals Sentenced in October 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.
Santos Belen-Paredes, aka Angel Medina Vargas, 44, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to 18 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.
Belen-Paredes had previously been removed from the U.S. in February 2012, after completing a 60-month state prison sentence for distribution of heroin and conspiracy to distribute heroin.
In February of this year, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) task force encountered Belen-Paredes while executing a narcotics search warrant in Northeast Philadelphia. After confirming Belen-Paredes was illegally in the U.S., Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers took him into custody.
The defendant was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in March and pleaded guilty in July.
Daniel Herrera Pavon, aka Fanny Leonardo Velasquez-Jerez, Mario Paulino, and Aldrin Pavon, 56, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston to 14 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Herrera Pavon had been removed from the U.S. twice before, in April 2000 and May 2005.
In May of this year, investigators with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and HSI agents encountered Herrera Pavon, pursuant to a narcotics operation in Northeast Philadelphia. After confirming that the defendant was in the country illegally, they took him into custody.
Herrera Pavon was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in June and pleaded guilty in August.
Victor Aneudi Mota-Garcia, 41, aka Jesus Nieves-Rivera, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Anita B. Brody to time served, approximately seven months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Mota-Garcia had previously been removed from the U.S. in November 2019, after being convicted in the Superior Court of Kent County, Delaware, of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
ICE received information that Mota-Garcia had returned to the United States and was residing in Philadelphia.
After conducting surveillance of his reported residence, ICE officers took him into custody in February of this year. Mota-Garcia was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in March and pleaded guilty in July.
Nicolos Tum Gregorio, 41, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Anita B. Brody to time served, approximately five months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Gregorio had previously been removed from the U.S. in October 2020, following his arrest that March by the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas.
In January 2024, the defendant was arrested in Montgomery County, Pa., for driving under the influence and causing an accident involving injury, with his blood alcohol content found to be more than three times the legal limit. Gregorio was ultimately convicted of DUI in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.
ICE took Gregorio into federal custody in June of this year. He was charged by information with illegal reentry in July and pleaded guilty in August, waiving prosecution by indictment.
Carlos Manuel Torres Jimenez, aka Rafael Antonio Vasquez Rosario, 43, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer to time served, approximately three months, for illegal reentry.
Torres Jimenez had previously been removed from the U.S. in December 2001 and April 2022, after encounters with immigration authorities.
In June of this year, ICE agents and deputies of the United States Marshals Service encountered Torres Jimenez in Philadelphia, while executing a criminal arrest warrant targeting another individual. After confirming Torres Jimenez was illegally in the U.S., ICE personnel took him into custody.
The defendant was charged by information with illegal reentry in September and pleaded guilty this month, waiving prosecution by indictment.
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. 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 cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Schopf, Patrick Murray, Shayna Gannone, Ashley Martin, and Sarah Wolfe.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Reading Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Three Berks County Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mikal Portalatin, 35, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 216 months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher for committing three commercial armed robberies. Judge Gallagher also ordered Portalatin to pay $87,700 in restitution and $2,900 in fines and assessments.
The defendant was charged by indictment in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in July of this year to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of armed bank robbery, charges arising from three armed robberies he committed in Berks County in the second half of 2022:
- July 27, 2022; Citgo gas station convenience store, 200 block of Buttonwood Street
- August 3, 2022; Sunoco gas station convenience store, 1500 block of Lancaster Avenue
- November 21, 2022; Members First Credit Union, 500 block of E. Lancaster Avenue
During the July robbery, Portalatin discharged his firearm at an employee who chased him as he fled; no one was hit.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency, the Cumru Township Police Department, and the Reading Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalynda M. Michetti and Kelly Lewis Fallenstein.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
City Man Pleads Guilty to 2024 Carjacking in West PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kristian Jackson, 19, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Juan R. Sánchez to one count of carjacking and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Jackson and co-defendant Legend Hall were charged with these offenses by superseding indictment in April of this year, in connection with a September 2024 carjacking in West Philadelphia. In addition, Hall, 19, also of Philadelphia, was charged separately via an information with an October 2024 carjacking in Upper Darby, Pa.
In July of this year, Hall entered a plea of guilty before United States Magistrate Court Judge Jose R. Arteaga to two counts of carjacking and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
As described in the superseding indictment and other publicly filed documents, on September 17, 2024, Victim #1 parked on the 300 block of 62nd Street in Philadelphia and reported being immediately approached by three males, later identified by investigators as Hall, Jackson, and a third individual, who was also charged in this case and is pending trial.
One of the defendants asked Victim #1 to drive them somewhere. When Victim #1 refused, two of the males took out handguns and told Victim #1 to get out of the car. The three males then got into Victim #1’s black Chevy Malibu and drove off with Victim #1’s iPhone 14 and approximately $500 that was in the car.
As further detailed in court filings, on October 1, 2024, Hall and others placed an order for a pizza delivery at Slices and Moore in Upper Darby. When the delivery driver (Victim #2) attempted to make the delivery, the defendant and others pointed guns at him and took Victim #2’s wallet, phone, car keys, the proceeds of the pizza shop, and the rest of the money that Victim #2 had on him at the time. Hall and the others then jumped into Victim #2’s vehicle and fled the area.
Hall and Jackson are both scheduled to be sentenced in February 2026. Each faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of seven years’ imprisonment.
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 FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney Samantha A. Arena.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Nigerian Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Cyberstalking and Other Charges Related to the Sexual Extortion and Death of a Local Young ManRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Imoleayo Samuel Aina, aka “Alice Dave,” 27, of Nigeria was sentenced today to 72 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and $3,250 in restitution by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for offenses related to the sexual extortion and death of a young man in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Aina and co-defendant Samuel Olasunkanmi Abiodun were arrested on a complaint and warrant in Nigeria, taken into custody by the FBI on July 31, 2024, and extradited to the United States to face charges in this case. They and another Nigerian co-defendant, Afeez Olatunji Adewale, 25, were then charged by indictment in August 2024.
In May of this year, Aina pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, interstate threat to injure reputation, receiving proceeds of extortion, money laundering conspiracy, and wire fraud.
Abiodun, 26, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud. He was sentenced on June 10 to five years in prison.
Adewale has also been charged with money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud. He remains in Nigeria, pending extradition to the United States.
“Aina was the driving force behind this sextortion scheme, which left a young man, and then his family, traumatized,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “The Department of Justice won’t just stand by when innocent victims in the U.S. are harmed by criminal scammers overseas. As this case shows, we can — and we will — find, prosecute, and hold accountable these insidious sextortionists who terrorize people for money.”
“This case is a powerful reminder of the profound harm sextortion inflicts on young people and their families, and of our unwavering commitment to pursuing those who perpetrate it,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “This sentence delivers a clear message: whether you are in the United States or operating from abroad, the FBI and our partners will relentlessly pursue you. If you exploit our youth, we will bring you to justice.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Abington Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Brown.
Aina and Abiodun were extradited to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, and the FBI. The support and assistance of Nigerian security authorities was essential to this effort, notably that of Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Camden Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Two Carjackings in South PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Zamer Williams, 20, of Camden, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 10 years’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Anita B. Brody for carrying out two carjackings in November of 2023.
In April 2024, Williams was charged by superseding indictment with two counts of carjacking and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the commission of a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to those offenses in December 2024.
As detailed in the superseding indictment and other public filings, on November 11, 2023, at approximately 9 p.m., the first victim, an Uber driver, was picking up a passenger at the Ikea on Columbus Boulevard in South Philadelphia. The driver had briefly stepped out of his vehicle, a 2016 Mazda CX-5, when the defendant and another person approached him, demanding his car keys at gunpoint. The victim handed over his keys and the defendant and his accomplice fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. The victim borrowed an Ikea worker’s phone and called 911.
Two days later, on November 13, 2023, the second victim entered the Wawa on Columbus Boulevard in South Philadelphia, leaving her car running. When she observed the defendant getting into the driver seat of her vehicle, a 2016 Ford Fusion SE, she went outside to confront him. The defendant drove the victim’s car away from the Wawa, with the victim holding onto the driver’s side door. After hanging on for about 10 feet, the victim let go and the defendant fled in her car.
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 the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina I. Coker and Robert E. Eckert.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
33 Alleged Members of Violent Kensington Drug Trafficking Organization Charged in 41-Count IndictmentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – At a news conference this afternoon, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced a historic indictment against a violent drug trafficking organization operating in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. The indictment charges 33 alleged members of the Weymouth Street Drug Trafficking Organization with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and dozens of related offenses.
U.S. Attorney Metcalf discussed the case alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs, and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, and assisting federal and state law enforcement partners.
The indictment alleges that, from about January 2016 through October 2025, the Weymouth Street Drug Trafficking Organization (“Weymouth DTO”) distributed fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine on the 3100 block of Weymouth Street, one of the most prolific drug blocks in the city, functioning as an open-air drug market where illegal narcotics are sold every day and at all hours. While that block is the nucleus of the group’s alleged activity, their area of operations has extended to include the corner of F Street and Clementine Street, the corner of E Street and Wishart Street, and 3000 Potter Street.
The indictment further alleges that the Weymouth DTO uses violence to enforce its territory, including shootings, murder, and physical assaults. Members of the Weymouth DTO retaliate against witnesses that the DTO believes provide information to law enforcement and commit violent acts against members of rival drug trafficking organizations.
As alleged in the indictment, the Weymouth DTO is headed by Jose Antonio Morales Nieves, aka “Flaco,” 45, of Luquillo, Puerto Rico, who authorizes other members of the Weymouth DTO to sell drugs on his block in exchange for “rent.” Morales Nieves helps protect the members of the DTO through the threat of violent acts, performed either by himself or his associates, against others who have caused the Weymouth DTO harm or attempted to sell controlled substances in the DTO’s territory.
The indictment alleges that Ramon Roman-Montanez, aka “Viejo,” 40, of Philadelphia, is a leader of the Weymouth DTO and manages the street-level operations. He is responsible for organizing the drug shift schedule, which establishes roles and shifts for who in the Weymouth DTO will be responsible for selling drugs at what times and on what days, managing proceeds, and obtaining more controlled substances.
As alleged, Nancy Rios-Valentin, 33, also of Philadelphia, is another leader of the Weymouth DTO responsible for organizing the drug shift schedule, as well as managing and maintaining drug proceeds.
A list of all defendants and the charges against them is below.
Twenty-four defendants were arrested in coordinated operations today. Eight defendants were already in state or federal custody, and one remains at large.
“Drug traffickers who poison our communities and enforce their territory through violence will face the full force of federal law,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Working alongside our state and local partners, the Department of Justice will continue to dismantle these criminal networks, hold violent offenders accountable, and restore safety to neighborhoods that have suffered for far too long. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Metcalf, the FBI, and every prosecutor and agent whose dedication made today’s action possible.”
“This indictment is, by defendant, the largest federal case of this century prosecuted by our office and it attacks the very heart of the opioid crisis in the neighborhoods of Kensington,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We are committed to returning these neighborhoods to their residents and reclaiming them from drug dealers who profit from the misery of others.”
“Today, even more criminals are off the streets because of the diligent work of the FBI and our partners,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Over 30 people have been charged for their alleged role in drug trafficking and dozens of other offenses. These individuals were charged with distributing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine on one of the most prolific drug blocks in Philadelphia. They were members of a violent drug trafficking organization and used violence to enforce their territory and sell drugs that poison our city streets and community. The FBI will continue our work to put an end to drug trafficking and violence in our cities.”
“There is no question our streets are safer today because of the tireless dedication and diligence of numerous federal, state, and local partners, but our work is not done,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI, alongside our law enforcement partners at every level, will continue to serve our citizens by pursuing the dangerous offenders who shatter our communities’ sense of safety, security, and quality of life.”
“Today’s actions were the culmination of a deliberate, patient, and highly coordinated investigation into a violent criminal enterprise operating on and around Weymouth Street in Kensington,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “This group pumped fentanyl into a community already hurting, and they used violence to protect their business. Thank you to our state and federal partners who continue to show up in Philadelphia not as visitors but as teammates: FBI Director Patel, U.S. Attorney Metcalf, FBI Philly SAC Jacobs and his team, the DEA, the Attorney General’s Office, and to our own DC Jim Kelly and the men and women of the Philadelphia Police Department's Narcotics Bureau who did the hard work to get us here. This is One Philly in action - exactly the model Mayor Parker has demanded from day one: not turf battles, not silos, but agencies standing shoulder-to-shoulder around a single mission: protecting the people of this city.”
This case is part of PSN Recon, a criminal intelligence program launched this year by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in which the federal and state law enforcement community work together to identify the most violent and dangerous actors in the city of Philadelphia. PSN Recon builds on the original mission of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) initiative, to collaboratively address violence in partnership with state and local enforcement officials. Learn more about PSN Recon here.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Solow and Jason Grenell.
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 Convicted at Trial of Robbing the Same City Business at Gunpoint TwiceRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Nasir Butler, 29, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted today at trial of two counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during or in relation to a crime of violence, arising from his armed robberies of the same city business twice in three weeks.
The defendant was charged by indictment in January of this year. Prior to his trial, Butler pleaded guilty to Count Five of the indictment, possession of a firearm by a felon.
As proven at trial, on September 20, 2024, and again on October 11, 2024, Butler contacted a business located on the 1200 block of Bridge Street under the pretext of making an appointment. On both dates, after arriving at the establishment, he pointed a gun at employees, demanded money, and left with cash belonging to the business.
The defendant will be sentenced on a date to be determined and faces a maximum possible term of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Izabella Babchinetskaya and Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Former Correctional Officer and Two Co-Conspirators Sentenced to Prison for Scheme to Smuggle Contraband into Philadelphia Industrial Correctional CenterRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Breyanna Cornish, 30, Jawayne Brown, 41, and Ahmad Nasir, aka Hussain Abdussamad, 44, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have been sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert, in connection with a scheme to smuggle contraband — including drugs, phones, chargers, cigarettes, and knives — into the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (“PICC”) from April 2021 through July 2021.
Judge Pappert sentenced Cornish this morning to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. Brown was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison, a $2,500 fine, and three years of supervised release. Nasir was sentenced earlier this month to 78 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
The defendants were charged by indictment in August 2024.
All three pleaded guilty earlier this year, Nasir to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine.
Brown pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine.
Cornish pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and one count of federal program bribery.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendants, Nasir, who was then detained pre-trial at PICC, worked with Brown, who was not incarcerated, Cornish, who was then a PICC correctional officer (“C.O.”) employed by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (“PDP”), and several other associates to purchase and assemble contraband.
Cornish then smuggled the contraband into PICC, where Nasir sold the contraband to other inmates for a profit. Nasir then instructed associates to pay Cornish for her role smuggling the contraband into the prison and Brown for his work purchasing and assembling the packages.
On July 10, 2021, PDP conducted a search of the cell Nasir shared with another inmate. In a compartment in the ceiling behind a light fixture, officers recovered 19 cellphones, 20 cellphone chargers, one rapid charger, two super glues, two screwdrivers, one roll of tape, three hunting knives, one Ziploc bag containing the synthetic cannabinoid commonly known as K2, one Ziploc bag of tobacco, one alprazolam pill, and at least 110 packets of Suboxone.
Following the search of the cell, officers conducted a search of Nasir and his cellmate, and recovered a cellphone from each of them. Text messages and WhatsApp messages extracted from the phone recovered from Nasir’s person revealed that from June 19, 2021, to July 6, 2021, C.O. Cornish, Nasir, and Brown discussed via text specific contraband items to be acquired, the delivery of contraband packages, and payments for the items and to co-conspirators. Nasir simultaneously sent messages to multiple inmates about the purchase and delivery of contraband.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Ruth Mandelbaum.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
City Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Violent Carjacking in Northeast PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Brian Amerman, aka “BD” and “Fat,” 21, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 144 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and $2,500 in restitution by United States District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro for his role in a violent armed carjacking in Northeast Philadelphia.
The defendant was charged by indictment in February 2024 and pleaded guilty in April of this year to one count of carjacking and aiding and abetting, and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.
As detailed in court filings, shortly before 1 a.m. on May 12, 2023, Victim 1 parked their Nissan Murano next to a standalone ATM in the parking lot of a shopping plaza located in the 6500 block of Roosevelt Boulevard. Victim 1 got out of the car and began using the ATM. As Victim 1 did so, Amerman and a second individual got out of a nearby car and approached Victim 1.
Amerman, armed with a black and tan semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine, shoved the gun in Victim 1’s face and then hit Victim 1 in the head with the gun. Amerman and the second individual demanded Victim 1’s car keys, and Victim 1 provided their keys and wallet to the carjackers. The second individual drove away in Victim 1’s Nissan Murano. Amerman returned to the vehicle that he had come from and he and the driver fled the scene.
Just over an hour later, Amerman and two other individuals in a grey Honda Accord arrived at a BP gas station in Oxford Circle, Pa., approximately 1.2 miles away from the ATM referenced above. Amerman and the driver entered the gas station, where charges attempted on Victim 1’s bank card were declined twice. Nine days later, on May 21, 2023, Philadelphia police recovered the license plate from Victim 1’s Nissan Murano inside the trunk of a crashed grey Honda Accord that appeared consistent with the Honda Accord observed at the BP station.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Amerman’s Instagram account, which contained photos and videos of himself, including a photo from the day before the carjacking of Amerman posing with a black and tan semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine, consistent with the one used during the carjacking, and a video of him the day after the carjacking pointing a black and tan semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine at the camera, also consistent with the one used during the carjacking. The account also contained photos and videos of himself close in time to the carjacking wearing clothing consistent with what he wore when he committed the crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Meghan A. Farley and Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Two Philadelphia Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Pizza Shop Arson That Resulted in the Death of PFD Firefighter Lt. Sean WilliamsonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Al-Ashraf Khalil, 32, and Isaam Jaghama, 32, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe for the June 18, 2022, arson fire at a Fairhill pizza shop, which resulted in the death of Philadelphia Fire Department Lieutenant Sean Williamson and injuries to five other first responders inside the building when it collapsed.
Khalil was sentenced to 40 years in prison and Jaghama to 25 years in prison. The defendants were also ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution to the city of Philadelphia for medical expenses for the injured first responders and the funeral of Lt. Williamson.
Khalil and Jaghama were charged by superseding indictment in August 2023. In November of 2024, a federal jury convicted the defendants on one count each of conspiracy to commit malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce, and one count each of malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce. Khalil was also found guilty of one count of wire fraud and one count of using fire in furtherance of the commission of that wire fraud.
Khalil was the owner of the property at 300 West Indiana Avenue, which housed both apartments and the pizza shop. As proven at trial, in the early hours of June 18, 2022, he and Jaghama set a fire inside the building so that Khalil could profit by filing an insurance claim related to the fire. The day of the fire, Khalil signed paperwork authorizing an insurance adjuster to file a more than $400,000 insurance claim on his behalf.
“Lt. Williamson lost his life as a result of Khalil and Jaghama’s greed,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “This is a tragedy that didn’t have to happen. Our thoughts today are with the Williamson family and everyone at the Philadelphia Fire Department — while we can never make them whole, we’re gratified that the men responsible for such an indelible loss have now been brought to justice.”
“This case is a warning to those who would use fire and endanger lives for personal gain,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Office. “ATF is dedicated to investigating and bringing arsonists like Khalil and Jaghama to justice. They now face decades in federal prison for their deadly crime. From our ATF Philadelphia Arson & Explosives Task Force and ATF National Response Team experts to our partners with the Philadelphia Fire and Police Departments, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and more, the resources to prevent and prosecute crimes like this are profound.”
“It is difficult to believe that more than three years have passed since we lost Lt. Sean Williamson,” said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson. “His tragic and senseless death robbed his family of a beloved partner, father, brother and son, and robbed this City of a dedicated, respected and highly skilled firefighter. We are grateful to the law enforcement officers, attorneys, and partner agencies who worked tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice.”
This case was investigated by ATF Philadelphia and the ATF’s National Response Team, the Philadelphia Fire Department, the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Philadelphia Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections. Special thanks are given to the United States Marshals Service for their assistance in the international apprehension of Al-Ashraf Khalil.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda R. Reinitz and Michael Miller.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Tax Preparer Sentenced to a Year and a Day in Prison for Filing False Tax Returns for Clients and HimselfRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that James J. Sirleaf, 65, of Darby, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, one year of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $219,622, and an $1,800 special assessment by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond, for engaging in a multi-year scheme to assist clients with filing false income tax returns to fraudulently increase their refund amounts, and filing false personal income tax returns for himself.
In April 2023, Sirleaf was charged by indictment with 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns and three counts of filing false personal income tax returns. He pleaded guilty to all charges in May of this year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, at the time of the charged conduct, Sirleaf was the sole owner and operator of Metro Financial Services Inc., a tax preparation business in Philadelphia. Sirleaf prepared false and fraudulent Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Forms 1040, or U.S. Individual Tax Returns, for client taxpayers for at least tax years 2016 through 2019.
Sirleaf included falsities on the tax returns — including false deductions, fabricated business expenses, and/or false dependent information — resulting in tax calculations lower than what the clients actually owed.
In addition, Sirleaf filed false returns for himself for tax years 2017 through 2019, failing to fully report his income, which resulted in an additional tax loss to the IRS.
In total, Sirleaf caused a tax loss to the IRS of $219,622.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eileen Castilla Geiger.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Kidnapping Child from Berks County in 2022Read the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Duane Taylor, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to life in prison by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher for the abduction of a minor child from her home in Reading, Pennsylvania, and transportation of that child across state lines to Taylor’s residence. Taylor was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution and $3,500 in fees and assessments.
In January 2023, Taylor was charged by superseding indictment with kidnapping, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all counts in June of this year.
As detailed in court filings, on the morning of August 31, 2022, City of Reading police officers responded to the victim’s home when the child’s mother reported her missing from her bedroom, where she had last seen her daughter around 10:30 p.m. the evening prior before going to bed. After searching for the child, her mother observed that the back door of their residence was wide open, and law enforcement found the chain lock on that door was broken.
Investigators reviewed video surveillance footage from the home’s security system, which showed a person entering the living room area at approximately 2 a.m. and proceeding to the stairs leading to the second floor. A short time later, the victim is seen walking down those stairs and through the living room, followed by the person who was later identified as the defendant, whom the victim’s mother also stated was her former boyfriend.
Reading investigators contacted the New York City Police Department, who traced the defendant to his residence in Brooklyn, but did not locate the victim there. The victim was located later that day when a citizen called 911 to report a child alone and asking for help because she had been kidnapped from Pennsylvania.
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, the Reading Police Department, and the New York City Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalynda M. Michetti and Josh A. Davison.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Accountant Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for $8 Million Tax FraudRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Rodney Ermel, 71, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $8,087,385 in restitution to the IRS by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney for tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
The defendant was charged with those offenses by superseding indictment in March 2024 and pleaded guilty in April of this year.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ermel owned and managed a Colorado-based accounting firm. Along with co-defendant Kenneth Bacon, Ermel provided accounting and tax preparation services for co-defendant Joseph LaForte, LaForte’s wife and co-defendant Lisa McElhone, and their business entities. Ermel conspired with LaForte, Bacon, and others to hide approximately $20 million in income.
He did this through various fraudulent accounting practices, such as fabricating shareholder loans and “bad debt” deductions. Ermel also filed tax returns which he knew underreported taxable income by over $20 million between 2016 and 2018. Ermel’s fraud caused a loss to the United States of over $8 million.
This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Newcomer and John J. Boscia for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Used Car Salesman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Customers Who Sought Wheelchair-Accessible VehiclesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Edward Scott Rock, 49, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in connection with a non-delivery sales scheme in which Rock accepted payment for, but failed to deliver, over 100 automobiles, and caused over $1 million in losses.
The defendant, who was charged by indictment in December of 2023, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud.
As detailed in court filings, between 2019 and 2023, Rock obtained used vehicles from automobile auctions and then advertised them for sale online. The majority of vehicles sold by Rock to victims were accessible vehicles equipped for wheelchair users or people with disabilities.
Despite signing bills of sale for the vehicles and accepting more than $2.5 million in payments from over 100 victims across three dozen states, Rock did not deliver the vehicles as agreed upon. While some victims were subsequently refunded, often with money received from the scheme’s later victims, the majority of Rock’s victims remain unpaid and without their purchased vehicle. Approximately two-thirds of Rock’s victims were persons with a physical or mobility disability, persons over the age of 65, or businesses which provided transportation services to those populations.
On several occasions, Rock sold the same vehicle to multiple customers. After agreeing to sale terms and accepting payment from a customer for a particular vehicle, Rock continued to list, sell, and accept payment for that same vehicle again, this time from a new victim-purchaser.
In one instance, Rock agreed to sell a particular vehicle — a wheelchair-accessible 2017 Ford T150 van — to 16 different buyers over an 11-month period between February 2022 and January 2023. Despite accepting payments from multiple buyers for this same specific vehicle and collecting over $300,000 all for the same vehicle, Rock only delivered the vehicle to one buyer (and without proper title).
To induce buyers to purchase vehicles, Rock also occasionally used a forged letter to falsely certify that the vehicles listed for sale were compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and had undergone a conversion with a reputable manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29, 2026, and faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, along with victim restitution.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department Major Crimes Auto Squad and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel S. Dalke and Jessica Rice.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Men Charged in Connection with Armored Truck RobberiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Dante Shackleford, 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment in connection with three armored truck robberies and attempted robberies that occurred in July and August of this year, as well as an additional attempted armored truck robbery in October. Mujahid Davis, 24, of Philadelphia, was also arrested and charged in the October attempted armored truck robbery.
Shackleford has been in federal custody since his arrest on a criminal complaint and warrant on October 3.
The indictment alleges that on July 15, 2025, in Philadelphia, and July 22, 2025, in Elkins Park, Pa., Shackleford attempted to rob a Brinks driver of U.S. currency. The indictment further alleges that on August 12, 2025, Shackleford successfully robbed a Brinks driver outside of an H-Mart in Elkins Park. Finally, the indictment alleges that on October 3, 2025, Shackleford and Davis attempted to rob another Brinks driver in Philadelphia.
This 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 indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Eric Mooney, 42, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison, 10 years of supervised release, $9,000 in restitution, and $1,200 in assessments by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for child sexual exploitation offenses.
Mooney was charged by indictment in February 2024 with one count each of production and attempted production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all charges against him in February of this year.
As detailed in the court filings, the defendant met the 14-year-old victim online in February 2023 and communicated with her over a messaging app for approximately two weeks, during which he coerced her into engaging in sexually explicit conduct at his direction during live video feeds.
Within weeks of meeting the child, Mooney traveled to Kentucky, convinced her to leave her home in the middle of the night, and brought her back to his home in Philadelphia where he engaged in sexual intercourse. Police later found sexually explicit images and video of this child on the defendant’s electronic devices, as well a copy of the flyer that had been posted when the child disappeared from her home in Kentucky.
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 Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for His Role in Violent Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Emmanuel Sia, 22, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison, three years’ supervised release, and $42,909 in restitution by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond for taking part in a violent armed carjacking.
The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2023 with one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to both charges in May of this year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, in the early morning hours of July 11, 2023, Sia and two others carjacked a 26-year-old man who had just parked his car near his Northeast Philadelphia home, with the defendant and others pointing their semiautomatic pistols directly at the victim, at very close range. The carjackers then pistol-whipped the man, took his cell phone, and drove off in his Dodge Charger.
Philadelphia police officers soon located and followed the stolen vehicle. As Sia and his co-defendants were trying to flee police in the Charger, they collided with another vehicle and crashed into a pole on Castor Avenue, where the stolen car caught fire and was destroyed. Police quickly apprehended all three carjackers after the crash.
Sia’s co-defendants, Leevah Mills and Kysime Brown, also pleaded guilty to the charges against them. In September, Mills was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison, and earlier this month, Brown was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial of Armed Robbery of Area Credit UnionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Charles Thomas Clark, 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted today at trial of aiding and abetting armed bank robbery, and aiding and abetting using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The defendant was charged with those offenses by indictment in April 2024, arising from the gunpoint robbery of a Montgomery County credit union.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on January 9, 2024, just before 3:30 p.m., Clark and co-defendant Emmanuel Glass entered the American Heritage Credit Union branch located on the 1300 block of Old York Road in Abington, Pa. At gunpoint, they demanded money from credit union employees, putting the cash in a paper McDonald’s bag. They also took deposited checks.
Throughout the encounter, employees heard Clark say, “It’s not worth it, this is all insured”; “…it’s not worth your life,” in reference to pushing alarm buttons, and warning employees not to move or they would get shot.
After exiting the credit union with the stolen cash, the robbers fled in a gold 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The bank manager then called 911 to report the robbery.
Police spotted the Chevrolet Cruze a few miles away from the credit union and began to follow the vehicle. Clark, who was driving, struck multiple vehicles as he fled from police at a high rate of speed, then crashed into a marked Abington Police vehicle. Both robbers took off on foot and were apprehended shortly thereafter by police.
Clark’s co-defendant Glass, who pleaded guilty in July, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5. Clark is scheduled to be sentenced on February 5, 2026.
The case was investigated by the Abington Township Police Department and FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Catherine Dos Santos and Special Assistant United States Attorney Meghan Farley.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Bucks County Home Care Company and Its Owners and Managers Charged in Alleged Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Favorite Home Care, LLC, Marina Sakson, 59, and Larry Sakson, 61, both of Marlton, New Jersey, and Olena Radionovsky, 49, and Michael Radionovsky, 54, both of Holland, Pennsylvania, were each charged by indictment with one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud and 20 counts of health care fraud.
Larry Sakson and Olena Radionovsky are the co-owners of defendant Favorite Home Care, and Marina Sakson and Michael Radionovsky are employees and managers of the company.
The indictment alleges that Favorite Home Care, LLC, and the Saksons and Radionovskys conspired with each other to commit health care fraud by billing Medicaid and a Medicaid Managed Care Organization for home health services that were not rendered.
As alleged, each defendant personally completed electronic visit verification calls, attesting that he or she was providing home care services, despite not being present with the client purportedly needing services. Favorite Home Care, LLC then submitted claims and received payments for the care that was not rendered.
This case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Abrams.
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.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Puerto Rico Woman Who Flew to Philadelphia with Nearly 15 Pounds of Cocaine in Checked Bag Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Karelys Colon Sevilla, 29, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge on one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
The defendant was charged with that offense by indictment in May 2024, following her arrest on a criminal complaint and warrant in February of that year.
As detailed in court filings, on February 13, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) received information that Colon was flying commercially from Puerto Rico, via Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, to the Philadelphia International Airport (“PHL”) and possibly concealing narcotics in her checked luggage. After HSI confirmed that Colon was indeed a ticketed passenger set to arrive at PHL, investigators sought and received from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas an anticipatory search warrant for the defendant’s luggage, contingent on an alert from a Police K-9 on the luggage.
Following the arrival of Colon’s plane to PHL, Pennsylvania State Police K-9 Ivan was instructed by his handler to examine every piece of checked luggage from that flight. K-9 Ivan only alerted to the presence of narcotics on one piece of luggage, a blue-gray soft-sided bag bearing a tag with the defendant’s name and flight information.
Pursuant to the search warrant and the K-9’s alert, investigators then opened the bag and recovered approximately 6.8 kilograms of a white substance, which testing later showed was cocaine.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on February 3 and faces a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
This case was investigated by HSI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eileen Castilla Geiger.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Former President of Allentown Title Company Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison for Defrauding Title Insurance Underwriter, Clients, and U.S. GovernmentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Louis Belletieri, 44, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 54 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and to pay over $6 million in restitution by United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl, for the defendant’s scheme to defraud a title insurance underwriter and clients and his fraudulent application to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”).
In May of this year, Belletieri was charged by information with two counts of wire fraud. He pleaded guilty to those charges in June.
As detailed in court documents, Belletieri was the president of Allentown-based Security Settlement Services of Pittsburgh d/b/a Legacy Title (“Legacy Title”), which he purported to operate for the purpose of providing title and real estate closing services to clients in connection with real estate transactions.
In or about November 2013, the defendant, as Legacy Title’s president, entered into a contract with a title insurance underwriter, in which the underwriter appointed Legacy Title as its agent for the purpose of issuing title insurance commitments, policies, endorsements for Pennsylvania properties.
Legacy Title and Belletieri maintained an escrow account to receive funds in connection with these and other client real estate transactions. The money from customers, mortgage lenders, and others was typically transferred electronically into Legacy Title’s escrow account.
Belletieri should have maintained the funds in the escrow account for the purpose of conducting real estate transactions and disbursing funds as appropriate and for the purpose for which they were entrusted, such as to pay off mortgages, pay taxes, obtain title insurance, and pay for other expenses in connection with real estate transactions.
As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, he instead used the funds in the escrow account for personal reasons, including, among other things, to place online sports bets.
During the course of the scheme, Belletieri regularly made and caused to be made electronic transfers of funds to and from the escrow account to, from, and among Legacy Title’s business operating account, his personal bank account, his credit card account, and online sports betting platforms.
From in or about March 2020 through in or about September 2023, Belletieri made electronic transfers of funds from the escrow account to his personal account totaling approximately $6,434,500, and from the escrow account to the business operating account totaling approximately $2,460,190, many of which were not for legitimate business purposes.
Belletieri took numerous steps to conceal his fraud upon his clients and the title insurance underwriter, including by submitting a fraudulent application to the SBA on behalf of Legacy Title to defraud the SBA and obtain funds via the EIDL program. In connection with this application, the defendant entered into fraudulent loan agreements with the SBA, falsely agreeing that he would use the proceeds of the loan solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
When the SBA disbursed the EIDL funding to Legacy Title and Belletieri pursuant to his fraudulent application, Belletieri used significant portions of the proceeds for personal uses, rather than as working capital for Legacy Title. As a result, the defendant caused the SBA to disburse a total of approximately $825,000 due to his fraud.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency, with assistance from the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Boscia and Rebecca J. Kulik.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Following U.S. Senate Confirmation, David Metcalf Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Full Term of Four YearsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – David Metcalf was sworn in today to serve as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for the full term of four years, following the United States Senate’s October 7 confirmation of his nomination to the position.
The Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Wendy Beetlestone, administered the oath of office to Mr. Metcalf. A formal investiture ceremony will be held at a later date.
“It’s a privilege to serve the people of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and I’m honored to continue in this role with the Senate’s support,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Our office is working every day to advance the cause of justice and the rule of law.”
In March, Attorney General Pamela Bondi had named Mr. Metcalf the Interim United States Attorney for a period of 120 days. Shortly thereafter, President Trump nominated Mr. Metcalf to serve as the United States Attorney for the full term.
Upon the expiration of the 120-day interim period, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania appointed Mr. Metcalf the District’s United States Attorney, ensuring he would remain in the role while awaiting Senate confirmation.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in 2022 Lehigh Valley Plane Crash That Killed Student Pilot, and Dozens of Additional ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Philip McPherson II, 37, of Riverside, New Jersey, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to involuntary manslaughter, in connection with a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed a student pilot.
The defendant, who was charged by second superseding indictment in April of this year, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of an administrative proceeding, and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate.
As detailed in court filings, on September 28, 2022, McPherson took off as the pilot-in-command of a Piper-28-140 aircraft from Queen City Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with student pilot K.K. Shortly after takeoff, McPherson crashed the plane, killing K.K.
As further detailed, McPherson acted with gross negligence because he knew that he was not competent to safely fly an aircraft as the pilot-in-command. Specifically, McPherson knew that: (1) he was not competent to safely operate the aircraft because he had two prior accidents and almost a third; (2) he failed his September 29, 2021, reexamination for his pilot’s certificate for a lack of demonstrated competence; (3) he voluntarily surrendered his pilot’s certificate on October 7, 2021, acknowledging his lack of competence; and (4) he allowed his Temporary Airman Certificate to expire on November 8, 2021, thus further acknowledging his inability to demonstrate to the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) his competence to fly safely.
McPherson also admitted to illegally serving as the pilot-in-command of an aircraft with passengers while not possessing an FAA pilot’s certificate permitting him to do so. These flights occurred between October 12, 2021, and September 20, 2022.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 27 and faces a maximum possible term of 153 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $10,750,000 fine and a $4,300 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Federal Aviation Administration, and Salisbury Township (Pa.) Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Schopf and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marie Miller.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Maryland Man Charged with Mailing Threatening Communications to Jewish Institutions and Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, Maryland, was charged by information with 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, arising from numerous threats sent to Jewish organizations and entities.
These charges follow Seferlis’ arrest in June on a criminal complaint and warrant in connection with such threats.
As alleged in the information, from at least March 2024 through at least June 2025, the defendant used the United States mail to transmit at least 40 letters and at least two postcards to more than 25 Jewish organizations and entities located in multiple jurisdictions, including, but not limited to, synagogues, Jewish museums, Jewish community centers, Jewish schools, Jewish non-profit organizations, and a Jewish delicatessen. In many of these letters and postcards, defendant Seferlis threatened to destroy physical buildings and/or to injure individuals.
Specifically, the information alleges that Seferlis caused the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) to deliver threatening communications to these institutions on or about the following dates:
Jewish Institution 1, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
(March 6, 2024; January 24, 2025)
Jewish Institution 2, an entity in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(April 4, 2024; July 29, 2024; January 18, 2025; March 5, 2025; May 7, 2025; May 9, 2025)
Jewish Institution 3, an entity in Fairfax, Virginia
(January 18, 2025)
Jewish Institution 4, a synagogue in Gaithersburg, Maryland
(February 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 5, an entity in Fairfax, Virginia
(February 7, 2025)
Jewish Institution 6, a synagogue in Hagerstown, Maryland
(March 2025)
Jewish Institution 7, an entity in Rockville, Maryland
(May 12, 2025)
Jewish Institution 8, an entity in Washington, D.C.
(May 29, 2025; June 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 9, an entity in Washington, D.C.
(June 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 10, a synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts
(June 3, 2025)
Each alleged communication listed above contained a threat to injure the occupants of the receiving institution.
The information further alleges that the defendant, by threat of force, intentionally obstructed and attempted to obstruct congregants and other attendees in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs, by threatening to harm the occupants of:
Jewish Institution 1, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
(March 6, 2024; January 24, 2025)
Jewish Institution 11, a synagogue in Rockville, Maryland
(January 25, 2025)
Jewish Institution 12, a synagogue in Falls Church, Virginia
(January 31, 2025)
Jewish Institution 13, a synagogue in Gaithersburg, Maryland
(February 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 14, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
(February 10, 2025)
Jewish Institution 15, a synagogue in Hagerstown, Maryland
(March 2025)
Jewish Institution 16, a synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts
(June 3, 2025)
Further, the alleged offenses against Jewish Institution 12, Jewish Institution 13, Jewish Institution 14, and Jewish Institution 15 included the threatened use of a dangerous weapon, fire, or explosives.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 207 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $5,650,000 fine.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia, with assistance from FBI Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s Greenbelt office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff.
The charges and allegations contained in the information are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Lehigh County Man Sentenced for Obtaining, Distributing Misbranded Drugs to Allentown-Area Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Francis Matos, 51, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to two years’ probation and a $5,000 fine by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher for conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.
Matos was charged by information in April of this year and pleaded guilty in May.
As detailed in court filings, beginning in or about May 2022, Matos arranged to have others purchase pharmaceutical drugs in the Dominican Republic and mail them to him and other individuals in Allentown and elsewhere. These drugs included tablets containing sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. At other times, Matos purchased and obtained pharmaceutical drugs in the United States, at locations outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and transported them or had them delivered to his residence.
The defendant and others then delivered and sold the pharmaceutical drugs to customers, typically small convenience stores located within the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Neither Matos nor his business, Suplidora America, ever had a license to obtain, hold, or dispense pharmaceutical drugs. Further, Matos did not require his customers to provide a prescription to obtain pharmaceutical drugs from him or his business, even though many of the drugs that he and his associates dispensed required such a prescription.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Boscia.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Chinese National Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Sell Oxycodone on the DarknetRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Zhengchang Huang, aka “chinodrug,” Chihwei Lim, and Yang Yong, 34, a Chinese national who had been legally residing in Kent, Washington, was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine by United States District Judge Michael M. Baylson for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. Judge Baylson also ordered the forfeiture of nearly 200 Bitcoins, worth approximately $22 million as of today, deemed to constitute or derive from the proceeds of Huang’s criminal conduct.
The defendant was charged by indictment in April 2024 and pleaded guilty this February.
As detailed in court filings and statements, Huang led a conspiracy to operate as the drug vendor “chinodrug” from the U.S. and abroad. Through the darknet, encrypted peer to peer communications, and other means, Huang and his co-conspirators in Asia and the United States sold millions of dollars of Schedule II controlled substances, primarily oxycodone, to U.S. buyers. The drugs were smuggled in from China using Huang’s large international network. They were later advertised and sold on the dark web.
These illegal narcotics were shipped via U.S. mail to customers in multiple states, including the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in exchange for virtual currency. Evidence in the case indicates that, from 2018 through early 2025, the “chinodrug” organization shipped more than 15,000 suspected opioid parcels from Washington State to U.S. customers across the country, generating millions in illicit revenue.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Three Lancaster County Men Sentenced for Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Antonios Mountis, 81, and Alexandros Mountis, 52, both of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Kostantinos Mountis, 50, of Lititz, Pa., were sentenced today by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. for tax offenses.
The defendants were charged by information in August of last year.
In October 2024, Antonios Mountis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and failure to pay employment taxes. He was sentenced by Judge Leeson to five years’ probation and $634,802.39 in restitution.
Sons Alexandros and Kostantinos Mountis pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiracy to defraud the IRS and tax evasion. Alexandros Mountis was sentenced by Judge Leeson to 12 months and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, and $711,847.19 in restitution, and Kostantinos Mountis to six months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $689,580.51 in restitution.
As detailed in court filings, Antonios Mountis was the president and sole owner of Mountis Enterprises, Inc. (“MEI”), doing business as the Conestoga Bar and Grill, and Antonios Mountis & Sons, Inc. (“AMSI”), doing business as the Neptune Diner, with both restaurants located in Lancaster, Pa.
Alexandros Mountis was the manager of the Conestoga Bar and Grill, and Kostantinos Mountis was the manager of the Neptune Diner. Other family members were also employed at the restaurants.
As further detailed in filings and admitted to by the defendants, from about January 2014 through January 2021, Antonios, Alexandros, and Kostantinos Mountis conspired to pay employees of the family’s restaurants a portion of their wages off the books, failed to withhold trust fund taxes from these wages, failed to properly report the employees’ wages to the IRS, and failed to pay over to the IRS the correct employment taxes for these employees.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terri Marinari.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for His Role in Violent Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kysime Brown, 21, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison, five years’ supervised release, and $42,909 in restitution by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond for taking part in a violent armed carjacking.
The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2023 with one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to both charges on March 12, 2024.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, in the early morning hours of July 11, 2023, Brown and two others carjacked a 26-year-old man who had just parked his car near his Northeast Philadelphia home, with the defendant and others pointing their semiautomatic pistols directly at the victim, at very close range. The carjackers then pistol-whipped the man, took his cell phone, and drove off in his Dodge Charger.
Philadelphia police officers soon located and followed the stolen vehicle. As Brown and his codefendants were trying to flee police in the Charger, they collided with another vehicle and crashed into a pole on Castor Avenue, where the stolen car caught fire and was destroyed. Police quickly apprehended all three carjackers after the crash.
Brown’s co-defendants Emmanuel Sia and Leevah Mills also pleaded guilty to the charges against them. Mills was sentenced in September to over 11 years in prison and Sia is scheduled to be sentenced on October 16.
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
President of Masonry Contractor Sentenced to 7½ Years in Prison for Conspiring to Bribe Amtrak Employee, Making a False ClaimRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mark Snedden, 70, of Munster, Indiana, was sentenced today to 90 months in prison, one year of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and joint restitution of $2,062,374 by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone, for conspiring to commit federal program bribery and making and presenting a false claim.
The defendant was charged by information in March of this year and pleaded guilty to the offenses in April.
As detailed in court filings, on or about December 10, 2015, a masonry restoration contractor (the “Contractor”) was awarded a $58,473,000 contract by Amtrak to be the main contractor on a façade repair and restoration project at Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
Federal funding supplied approximately 90% of the money Amtrak used to pay the Contractor for the repair and restoration of the 30th Street Station façade.
Snedden was the sole owner and President of the Contractor, with responsibility to provide executive oversight of the Vice Presidents of the Contractor and the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project.
Donald Seefeldt, charged elsewhere, was the Senior Executive Vice President of the Contractor, with responsibility to provide executive oversight of the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project.
Lee Maniatis, and Khaled Dallo, also charged elsewhere, were Vice Presidents of the Contractor, with responsibility to supervise the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project.
Amtrak Employee #1 was employed by Amtrak as the Project Manager on the repair and restoration project. In that capacity, Amtrak Employee #1 was responsible for communicating with the Contractor about the work being done on 30th Street Station. Amtrak Employee #1 was also responsible for reviewing the invoices, change orders, and requests for payment that the Contractor submitted to Amtrak. Amtrak Employee #1 had the power to approve or reject these invoices, change orders, and requests for payment. Although Amtrak Employee #1 did not have the singular authority to approve Amtrak payments to the Contractor, his approval was a critical step in that process.
The contract between Amtrak and the Contractor prohibited Snedden and other Contractor officials from “offer[ing] to any Amtrak employee, agent, or representative any cash, gift, entertainment, commission, or kickback for the purpose of securing favorable treatment with regard to award or performance of any contract or agreement.”
As detailed in the information and admitted to by the defendant, from in or about May 2016 through in or about November 2019, the defendant conspired with several others, including Amtrak Employee #1, Maniatis, Dallo, and Seefeldt, to knowingly and corruptly give, offer, and agree to give, a thing of value to Amtrak Employee #1, intending to influence and reward Amtrak Employee #1 in connection with any business, transaction and series of transactions.
Specifically, Seefeldt, Maniatis, Dallo, and others, with Snedden’s knowledge and agreement, provided Amtrak Employee #1 with gifts and other things of value totaling approximately $323,686, including, among other things, paid vacations, jewelry, cash, dinners, entertainment, a dog, training for that dog, and transportation, to ensure that Amtrak Employee #1 used his power and influence to benefit the Contractor during the performance of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project.
In return for these gifts and other things of value, Amtrak Employee #1 allegedly used his position at Amtrak to access internal agency information available only to Amtrak employees about the 30th Street Station Project and shared this internal information with the defendant and other officials with the Contractor.
Court filings further allege that Amtrak Employee #1 used his position at Amtrak to approve additional, more expensive changes to the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project, thereby increasing the amount and value of the work to be performed by the Contractor. These additional expenses were reflected in a series of change orders or contract modifications. In total, Amtrak Employee #1 approved over $52 million of additional payments from Amtrak to the Contractor.
Amtrak Employee #1 and officials with the Contractor falsely inflated the true costs of some of the work to be performed by the Contractor under these change orders, causing Amtrak to be substantially overbilled by over $2 million for the completion of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Amtrak Office of Inspector General, and Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Brazilian National, in U.S. Illegally, Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Forcibly Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, Impeding, Intimidating, and Interfering with Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Enmanuel Fernandes-Calixto, aka Emanuel Fernandes and Emanuel Bartholomew, 21, a Brazilian national illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston, for forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with an officer of the United States while the officer was engaged in the performance of his official duties.
As detailed in court filings, on April 2, 2025, an officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) arrested Fernandes-Calixto for immigration violations. During transport, the defendant attempted to escape, and, while still handcuffed, pushed the officer, then attempted to strike the officer several times. The defendant ultimately escaped during the struggle and hid in a house in Northeast Philadelphia. He was apprehended later that evening, with the assistance of the Philadelphia Police Department SWAT team.
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 ICE ERO.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Chester County Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Valuable Coins from Bank Safe Deposit BoxRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard DiStefano, 65, of Paoli, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage on one count of bank larceny.
DiStefano was charged by information with that offense earlier this month, arising from his theft of coins from the bank where the owning organization was keeping them.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, starting in July of 2017 and going through February 25, 2021, the defendant stole precious coins that were being stored in a safety deposit box at a Wells Fargo branch on the 100 block of South Broad Street.
In June of 2024, the FBI was notified that this theft had occurred. Subsequently, the FBI was able to obtain records showing that the defendant was the last person to have access to the safety deposit box.
In September of 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at the defendant’s address. During the execution of the search warrant, the defendant admitted to stealing the coins. The investigation showed that, over the course of years, the defendant had removed the coins from the safety deposit box and sold the coins at various auction houses. The coins’ appraised value was just over $1.6 million.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2026, and faces a maximum possible term of 10 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Bucks County Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard Adamsky, 66, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The defendant will make his initial appearance in federal court tomorrow.
The indictment alleges that, on or about June 15, 2024, Adamsky knowingly received a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment further alleges that 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.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison.
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.
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 Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Smuggle Suboxone into Curran-Fromhold Correctional FacilityRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Talia Hicks, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to three years’ probation, with one month of home confinement, and forfeiture of approximately $2,900 by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge, for conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
Hicks was charged with that offense by information and pleaded guilty in March of this year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from at least December 2019 through November of 2020, Hicks conspired with multiple individuals to smuggle Suboxone into the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (“CFCF”). At the time of the charged conspiracy, she was working for the Transportation Security Administration at Philadelphia International Airport.
A review of video tablet calls, a recorded form of communication available to inmates at CFCF, showed that a co-conspirator, on various occasions, discussed inmates sending CashApp and Apple payments to both the co-conspirator and Hicks. A review of CashApp and Green Dot records showed that Hicks and the co-conspirator sent and received CashApp payments on behalf of the co-conspirator, from and to various individuals. There were multiple transactions for which Hicks either facilitated the payment for Suboxone or provided the drugs to a co-conspirator to smuggle the substance into CFCF.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that two foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this week.
Dagoberto Herrera-Abreu, aka Roberto Rovira, 52, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez on Monday 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.
Herrera-Abreu had previously been removed from the U.S. in September 2010, after serving a state prison sentence for possession with intent to deliver controlled substances in Philadelphia, plus additional prison time imposed after he absconded from a drug treatment facility.
In July 2024, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) task force executing a narcotics search warrant in Northeast Philadelphia encountered the defendant, who was subsequently charged in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas with a drug offense, to which he pleaded guilty. In February of this year, following Herrera-Abreu’s completion of his prison sentence, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers took him into federal custody. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry the same month and pleaded guilty in April.
Claudio Reyes-Morales, 36, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond yesterday to time served, over two months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Reyes-Morales had previously been removed from the U.S. in October 2011 and June 2012, following encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona.
In February of this year, ICE learned that Reyes-Morales had been arrested by the Norristown (Pa.) Police Department. In July, while executing an unrelated search warrant, HSI and ICE officers encountered the defendant and took him into custody. Reyes-Morales was charged by information with illegal reentry in August and pleaded guilty this week, waiving prosecution by indictment.
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. 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 cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Schopf and Michael Miller.
Montgomery County Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for $72 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Joshua Coleman, 39, of North Wales, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $57,239,616.90 in restitution by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge, in connection with a scheme in which he defrauded two lenders that had loaned him approximately $72 million in total, with the fraud loss between $9.5 million and $25 million.
In August 2023, Coleman was charged by information with four counts of wire fraud arising from the scheme and he pleaded guilty that September.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from August 2020 to June 2022, Coleman deceived two lenders (Lender #1 and Lender #2) into loaning approximately $72 million to companies owned and controlled by the defendant, who falsely represented to the lenders that the money would be used to purchase insurance companies. Of the $72 million, Coleman only used approximately $10.9 million to buy insurance companies. He used the remaining $61 million to pay for personal expenses, business debts, and other companies that he owned and controlled.
Specifically, court filings show, despite promising to use the money to buy insurance companies, one day after obtaining approximately $25 million in loan proceeds from Lender #1, Coleman wired approximately $20.2 million to Individuals #1 and #2, former investment advisor clients of his, and their associated entity. In May 2020, the defendant entered into an agreement in which he acknowledged that he used approximately $20 million of these former clients’ assets without their knowledge or consent and agreed to pay back the debt with interest. In sum, Coleman used most of Lender #1’s money to repay earlier investors whose money he misappropriated.
By August 2021, Coleman needed millions of dollars to repay Lender #1 and other business debts that he incurred, and to purchase two actual insurance companies. In or about September 2021, he began to negotiate with Lender #2 for a loan that authorized him to use loan proceeds to purchase insurance companies.
Before the loan agreement could become fully effective, the defendant had to provide proof that certain liens had been terminated by November 2, 2021. Coleman provided what purported to be four lien termination forms to Lender #2 before the November deadline. In truth, all four liens were still in place at the time. The defendant falsified other critical documents, as well, to convince Lender #2 to enter into the loan agreement and to make disbursements of loan proceeds.
In total, the defendant received approximately $47.6 million from Lender #2. Approximately $10.9 million was used to purchase Insurance Company #1. The remaining $36.8 million was misappropriated by the defendant, with most of the money spent on unrelated business debts, including approximately $11.5 million of Lender #2’s funds used to repay Lender #1.
“Coleman brazenly lied to his lenders, falsifying documents and forging signatures to help conceal his scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Instead of using the funds as intended, he spent most of those millions paying off business debts and for personal expenses. My office will continue to target significant financial crimes like this and prosecute the fraudsters responsible.”
“This sentencing reflects our commitment to holding accountable those who seek personal profit through lies and deceit,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Alongside our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue our pursuit of those who orchestrate and execute complex financial fraud schemes.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anita Eve and Francis Weber.
The SEC also filed civil charges against Coleman.
Center City Real Estate Agent Pleads Guilty to Charges Arising from Fraudulent Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jonathan Barach, 46, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez to one count of wire fraud and one count of making an illegal monetary transaction, in connection with a fraudulent loan scheme in which he raised millions of dollars from individuals and businesses, purportedly for short-term real estate financing opportunities, when no such projects existed.
As detailed in the information filed August 21, 2025, the defendant served as a licensed residential real estate agent and the co-founder and principal agent for The Barach Group, LLC, a Philadelphia-based real estate team, and formed a second company, TBG Real Estate, LLC, also based in the city. In addition to offering traditional real estate agent services, Barach used his companies to solicit and raise money for non-existent real estate financing opportunities.
Between July 2017 and April 2021, Barach raised over $3 million from lenders through a series of material misrepresentations, including by falsely stating the raised funds would be used to provide bridge loans to builders and contractors looking to purchase and flip distressed real estate properties or to complete renovation projects. At the time of these solicitations, no such projects existed, Barach’s entities did not provide real estate financing, and Barach knew that the lenders’ funds would be used for his own purposes and debts.
None of the money raised by Barach from his victims was used for the stated purpose. Instead, Barach typically withdrew the funds in cash, made assorted personal expenditures, transferred funds to his personal bank accounts, and moved large sums to various accounts that he held with casinos and sportsbook operations. Although Barach paid back some of his earlier lenders with a portion of the funding secured from later lenders, over $1.4 million of the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds remain unpaid.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2026, and faces a maximum possible term of 30 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FDIC Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Terri Marinari and Samuel Dalke.
Lancaster Man Charged with Gun Crimes, Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack and CocaineRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Dwain London Jr., 37, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
The indictment alleges that, on or about May 14, 2025, London knowingly and intentionally possessed, and intended to distribute, a mixture containing more than 28 grams of crack and a detectible amount of cocaine.
The indictment further alleges that London was found in possession of a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, a firearm he was not permitted to possess due to his status as a convicted felon.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment and a $5,500,000 fine, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lancaster County Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
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.
Two Mexican Nationals Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Multiple DeportationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that two Mexican nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after multiple prior deportations have been sentenced to prison.
David Gonzalez-Castillo, 47, was sentenced by United States District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro to two years in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Gonzalez-Castillo had been removed from the U.S. four times before: in March 2009, July 2009, and twice in August 2009, after encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas and the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona.
In October 2024, ICE learned that Gonzalez-Castillo had been arrested by the Coatesville (Pa.) Police Department. ICE officers took the defendant into custody in March of this year, after he was convicted of simple assault in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. Gonzalez-Castillo was charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry in April and pleaded guilty in May.
Saul Lopez Rodriguez, 32, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joshua D. Wolson to six months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Lopez Rodriguez had previously been removed from the country four times, including in November 2012, December 2012, and March 2013, after encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona. In March 2016, the U.S. Border Patrol encountered the defendant in New Mexico. He was arrested, charged by information with illegal reentry in the District of New Mexico, pleaded guilty, and was removed from the country in April 2016.
In July 2024, ICE became aware that Lopez Rodriguez had been arrested by the Norristown (Pa.) Police Department, with the defendant subsequently pleading guilty to reckless driving. ICE took him into custody in June of this year, after law enforcement encountered him during a traffic stop. Lopez Rodriguez was charged by information with illegal reentry in July and pleaded guilty the same month, waiving prosecution by indictment.
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. 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 cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Francis Weber and Erica Kivitz.