Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Laye Sekou Camara, 47, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of visa fraud.

“The defendant, who was a member of a Liberian rebel group, engaged in the extrajudicial killing of civilians and ordered a mortar attack which struck the U.S. Embassy compound in Monrovia, Liberia, before traveling to the United States and making false statements to obtain lawful permanent residence,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Human rights violators are not welcome in the United States, and the Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who attempt to conceal their crimes and live freely without consequence in the United States.”

“The defendant was a notorious LURD commander, brutal even by the standards of the Second Liberian Civil War, and he lied about his past to build a new life in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Today’s sentence holds him responsible for his immigration fraud and officially ends his efforts to avoid accountability for his horrific crimes.”

According to court records, in 2010, Camara, also known as “general K-1” and “general Dragon Master,” entered the United States pursuant to an immigrant visa and later obtained Lawful Permanent Resident status and a green card by falsely stating on immigration forms that he had never participated in extrajudicial killings or other acts of violence; had never been involved with a paramilitary unit, rebel group, or guerilla group; and had never engaged in the recruitment or use of child soldiers.

At a preliminary sentencing hearing held on Jan. 23, nine Liberian witnesses described how Camara used his position of power in the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel group to terrorize civilians, committing extrajudicial killings and other atrocities. One farmer in Lofa County, Liberia, described how “K-1 and his boys surrounded the town, . . . [and] . . . [t]hose who refused to be arrested, those who resisted, they were killed.” Another witness recounted how Camara used a handgun to kill at close range a pregnant woman and her 13-year-old son after the woman objected to LURD’s recruitment of her son. Other witnesses described how LURD rebels – and Camara specifically – fired on and killed civilians who were trying to obtain food. Camara also ordered a “mortar crew” under his command to attack central Monrovia, striking the U.S. Embassy compound, resulting in the death of a U.S. embassy employee – a Liberian guard – and other civilians. Other witnesses testified about Camara’s tactics to humiliate and terrorize civilians, including through mutilation of his victims. In one instance, a witness described how Camara tied a man’s hands behind his back and “cut off his right ear,” when the man continued to resist.

HSI Philadelphia investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia. The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC) supported the case. Established in 2009 and led by HSI, the HRVWCC uses a whole of government approach to further efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linwood C. Wright, Kelly Harrell, and Patrick Brown of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section prosecuted the case.

Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also email [email protected] or complete its online tip form at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Leevah Mills, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 135 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 in February of this year.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, in the early morning hours of July 11, 2023, Mills 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 Mills 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.

Mills’ co-defendants, Emmanuel Sia and Kysime Brown, also pleaded guilty to the charges against them and are scheduled to be sentenced in October.

“This roving crew of criminals ambushed and assaulted an innocent victim just trying to park his car and get home,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “My office and our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force will continue to target violent individuals like Leevah Mills, to improve public safety and the quality of life in our city.”

“Armed carjackings are brazen crimes that leave victims with lasting trauma and communities living in fear,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a measure of justice, but more importantly, it is a promise to our community that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will not relent in protecting innocent people from senseless violence.”

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that two defendants have been charged separately with election fraud offenses, one in connection with the 2020 presidential election, and the other in connection with the 2024 presidential election.

Matthew Laiss, 31, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with one count of voting more than once in a federal election and one count of voter fraud.

As detailed in the indictment, from at least October 2012 until about August 2020, Laiss resided in, and was lawfully registered to vote in, Ottsville, Pennsylvania, a municipality located in Bucks County. In or around August 2020, Laiss moved his primary residence from Ottsville, Pennsylvania, to Frostproof, Florida. The same month, he applied for and obtained a Florida driver’s license and registered to vote in Florida.

In or about October 2020, the Bucks County Board of Elections mailed a ballot for the November 2020 general election to the defendant’s former address in Ottsville, Pennsylvania, where Laiss’s parents continued to reside.

The indictment alleges that, on or about October 31, 2020, Laiss filled out and returned the Pennsylvania mail-in ballot, casting a vote for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States of America.

The indictment further alleges that, on or about November 3, 2020, Laiss went to a polling location in or around Frostproof, Florida, and voted in the 2020 general election, casting a vote for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States of America.

If convicted, on each count of the indictment the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $10,000 to $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Department of State, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff.

Miya Pack, 39, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with one count of voting more than once in a federal election and one count of voter fraud.

The indictment alleges that Pack was registered to vote in Bergen County, New Jersey, and had been registered there since in or about 2004, and was also registered to vote in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, since in or about 2016.

The indictment further alleges that, on or about October 26, 2024, the defendant voted in person at an early voting location in Teaneck, New Jersey, casting a vote for the office of President of the United States of America.

On Election Day, November 5, 2024, as alleged in the indictment, Pack went to a polling place in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, and cast another ballot in the 2024 general election, to include a vote for the office of President of the United States of America.

If convicted, on each count of the indictment the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $10,000 to $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Office of the Superintendent of Elections for Bergen County, New Jersey, and the Office of Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Potts.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that three men convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this week.

Bernardino Reyes-Gutierrez, 42, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez on Thursday to 58 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

Reyes-Gutierrez had previously been removed in February 2016, after completing a prison sentence for a 2013 drug conviction in Philadelphia County.

He reentered the United States illegally on an unknown date, was arrested in the Middle District of Pennsylvania by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in September 2023, and charged by indictment with illegal reentry that October. The defendant pleaded guilty in April of this year.

Aneudy Orlando Otanez, 44, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg on Thursday to time served, almost seven months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

Otanez had previously been removed from the United States in March 2022 and reentered illegally on an unknown date.

ICE became aware of Otanez’s presence in Philadelphia and took him into custody in January of this year. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in February and pleaded guilty in July.

Vincente Perez-Morales, 24, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky on Tuesday to time served, almost four months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

Perez-Morales had previously been removed in October 2019, after he was encountered in Texas by the U.S. Border Patrol.

In January of this year, ICE learned that Perez-Morales had been arrested in Chester County by the Pennsylvania State Police. ICE took him into custody in May, and he was charged by information with illegal reentry in July. Perez-Morales 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 are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Livermore, Rosalynda Michetti, and Ashley Martin.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jared Stanley, 33, of Lindenwold, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 130 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and restitution of $1,450 by United States District Judge John F. Murphy, for carrying out three commercial robberies in January and February of 2024.

In March 2024, Stanley was charged by indictment with one count each of Hobbs Act robbery, carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the commission of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a felon. That August, he was charged by information with two additional Hobbs Act robberies. Stanley pleaded guilty to all charges against him in October 2024.

Stanley committed all three robberies during a two-week span.

On January 21, 2024, the defendant entered the Birch Mini-Market, located at 2001 East Birch Street. He approached the counter, pointed a gun at the cashier, and demanded money. When the cashier didn’t understand him, Stanley started screaming at them. He repeatedly hit the cashier in the head with the gun, stole approximately $550 from the register, and fled.

On January 28, 2024, Stanley and an unidentified co-conspirator entered the Capricorno Grocery, located at 2000 East Orleans Street. Stanley walked to the employee area of the store, displayed a firearm, grabbed the employee by the shirt and forcibly pulled him away, pistol whipped him repeatedly, and stood guard over him while his accomplice went back to the register and stole approximately $500.

On February 2, 2024, Stanley and an unidentified co-conspirator entered Bonifacios Grocery, located at 3052 Frankford Avenue. They pushed an employee to the cash register, told him to get on the ground and then pistol whipped him in the head. Stanley and his accomplice then stole approximately $500 from the cash register and fled the store on foot.

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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jelani Christmas, 42, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 200 months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky yesterday for drug trafficking.

In April of this year, Christmas was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty to that offense in June.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Christmas was involved in trafficking controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine, in the area of Montgomery and Bucks counties in 2024.

On August 14, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a van operated and solely occupied by the defendant, uncovering a hidden compartment containing over 50 kilograms, or approximately 111 pounds, of methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Mills, John Boscia, and Rebecca Kulik.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tiriq Henson, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer yesterday to one count of entering an airport area in violation of security requirements.

The defendant was charged by information in May of this year.

As detailed in court filings, on March 9, 2024, Henson, then employed as a wheelchair assistant at the Philadelphia International Airport, aided and abetted the entry of Person #1 into a secure airport area in violation of security requirements, by permitting Person #1 to use the defendant’s airport-issued Secure Identification Display Area badge to gain access to the secured and sterile area of the airport.

Henson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16 and faces a maximum possible term of 10 years’ imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Carlos Sacanell, 59, of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone on one count of securities fraud (insider trading) and one count of making a false statement to a federal agency.

The defendant was charged by indictment with those offenses in October 2024.

As detailed in the indictment and admitted to by the defendant, Sacanell obtained material nonpublic information from his domestic partner, who was an executive at Oak Street Health, about CVS Health Corporation’s acquisition of Oak Street Health in 2023. At all times relevant to the indictment, both CVS and Oak Street Health were publicly traded companies on the New York Stock Exchange, with ticker symbols CVS and OSH, respectively.

Sacanell used the material nonpublic information obtained from his domestic partner to trade stock and options in Oak Street Health before the transaction was publicly announced on February 8, 2023, resulting in him obtaining profits of approximately $617,000.

As further detailed in court filings, when the defendant was interviewed by the FBI in April 2024, he falsely told agents that he did not obtain from his domestic partner information regarding CVS’s planned acquisition of Oak Street Health before the acquisition was publicly announced on February 8, 2023.

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis A. Weber. The Securities and Exchange Commission also charged Sacanell, in a parallel matter.

PHILADELPHIA – At a news conference this afternoon, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Daryl F. Heller, 55, of Lititz, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of securities fraud and four counts of wire fraud, arising from a fraudulent investment scheme that resulted in significant investor losses of approximately $402 million.

As detailed in the indictment, the defendant controlled and was the majority owner of several companies based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, including Paramount Management Group, LLC (“Paramount”), which purchased, installed, operated, maintained, and processed transactions for automatic teller machines (“ATMs”) in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and throughout the country.

Heller also controlled and was the majority owner of Heller Capital Group LLC (“HCG”) and Prestige Investment Group, LLC (“Prestige”). Further, Prestige was the majority owner of four companies, collectively, the “Prestige Management Companies.” The Prestige Management Companies, in turn, managed the operations of more than two dozen companies, collectively, the “Prestige ATM Funds” and the “WF Velocity ATM Funds.”

The indictment alleges that, from about January 2017 to December 2024, Heller solicited, and caused others to solicit, approximately $770 million from investors in the Prestige ATM Funds and WF Velocity ATM Funds investors, based on materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, including that the money they invested would be used by Paramount to purchase and operate ATMs on behalf of the investors, and that investors would receive a fixed amount every month from the revenues derived from the operation of the ATMs allegedly purchased by Paramount on the investors’ behalf.

The indictment further alleges that a substantial amount of the funds obtained from the Prestige and WF Velocity ATM Fund investors was not used by Paramount to purchase ATMs as promised, but used instead to pay the monthly payments owed to earlier investors in the Prestige and WF Velocity ATM Funds, other Paramount investors, Heller’s own personal expenses, and business debts incurred by Paramount and other companies that the defendant owned and controlled. The indictment further alleges that a substantial amount of the ATMs that were purportedly purchased by Paramount on behalf of the Prestige and WF Velocity ATM Fund investors either did not exist or were not in operation and, thus, were not capable of generating any revenues.

According to the indictment, to carry out and conceal the scheme, Heller created false and fraudulent records, which grossly misrepresented the number of ATMs in Paramount’s network and grossly overstated the revenues being generated by those ATMs. Heller used these documents to satisfy existing investors, solicit new investors, and deceive others by falsely representing that the ATM investments were legitimate, and the ATMs were generating sufficient revenues to make investor payments.

In or about April 2024, Heller caused Paramount to stop making monthly payments to investors after the Prestige and WF Velocity ATM Funds stopped providing substantial amounts of new investor money to Paramount. Investors have not received any payments since April 2024, despite Heller’s promises from April 2024 to December 2024 to make payments to and buyout the investors.

Paramount went out of business in or about December 2024, and investors in the Prestige and WF Velocity ATM Funds have unpaid principal amounts totaling approximately $402 million.

“The magnitude of the offense alleged by this indictment is enormous,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Daryl Heller allegedly piled lie upon lie, in order to bilk thousands of victims of their hard-earned money. This case is a prime example of the diligent and detailed work done by FBI Philadelphia’s white-collar crime branch, and the economic crimes section in our office.”

“Complex financial fraud cases like this demand close coordination, because no single agency can see the entire picture alone,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office. “Together, we brought the combined resources of federal, state, and local law enforcement—pairing the FBI’s investigative reach, the SEC’s regulatory expertise, and the insights of our local partners on the ground. That collective effort, strengthened by persistence and information-sharing, allowed us to peel back the layers of deception and uncover the full scope of this alleged scheme.”

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 100 years’ imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Francis Weber and J. Andrew Jenemann. The Lancaster County Police Department, Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, East Hempfield Township Police Department, and Pequea Township Police Department provided investigative assistance.

In a parallel matter, the Securities and Exchange Commission also announced charges against Heller today.

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.

The United States has intervened and filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania under the False Claims Act (FCA) against ProMedica Health System, Inc. (ProMedica) and various affiliated entities including HCR ManorCare Inc. and four nursing homes located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia (the defendants). ProMedica is a nonprofit corporation that is headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. From 2018 to 2023, it owned and controlled the following four nursing homes: ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation - Pottstown (Pennsylvania), ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation - Riverview (Ohio), ProMedica Skilled Nursing, Rehabilitation - Greenville East (South Carolina), and ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation - Imperial (Virginia).

In its complaint in intervention, the United States alleged that the four nursing homes provided non-existent, grossly substandard skilled nursing facility care or services that otherwise failed to meet the required standards of care under the Nursing Home Reform Act. The United States alleged that, from 2017 to 2023, the defendants failed to develop or follow individualized care plans for their residents. Specifically, in many cases, the facilities failed to provide adequate wound care to prevent pressure ulcers, failed to maintain residents’ hygiene and to provide showers as required, and failed to provide residents with appropriate assistance with feeding, which led to severe weight loss in many cases. To conceal their provision of grossly substandard care, in some cases, defendants falsely documented in resident medical records that care and services had been provided to residents when it had not been.

“The Justice Department is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society, including elderly and infirm individuals who depend on nursing homes for safe and dignified skilled nursing care,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Grossly substandard care places nursing home residents at serious risk of harm and this suit sends a clear message that we will pursue health care providers who fail to meet their legal obligations to provide required care and who betray the trust of the residents they are meant to serve.”

“An increasing number of older adults and persons with disabilities are residing in long-term care facilities. These residents are often particularly vulnerable to inadequate assessment and treatment of their needs,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Beginning almost 30 years ago, the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed some of the first False Claims Act complaints and reached some of the first settlements in the United States to focus on quality of care in the nursing home environment. Today’s complaint again serves notice to the nursing home industry that a failure to provide adequate nursing home care will not be tolerated. Public funds expended for nursing home residents must result in appropriate care, which is what the government pays for, and the law requires.”

The complaint in intervention is the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. This matter is being handled by Fraud Section attorneys Susan C. Lynch, Robbin O. Lee, and Samuel P. Robins, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Degnan and Gerald B. Sullivan for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The case is captioned United States, et al., ex. rel. Compton v. HCR ManorCare, Inc., et al., No. 16-cv-0851 (E.D. Pa.). 

The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf and the Department of Justice announced that the United States has intervened and filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania under the False Claims Act (FCA) against ProMedica Health System, Inc. (ProMedica) and various affiliated entities including HCR ManorCare Inc. and four nursing homes located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia (the defendants).

ProMedica is a nonprofit corporation that is headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. From 2018 to 2023, it owned and controlled the following four nursing homes: ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation - Pottstown (Pennsylvania), ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation - Riverview (Ohio), ProMedica Skilled Nursing, Rehabilitation - Greenville East (South Carolina), and ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation - Imperial (Virginia).

In its complaint in intervention, the United States alleged that the four nursing homes provided non-existent, grossly substandard skilled nursing facility care or services that otherwise failed to meet the required standards of care under the Nursing Home Reform Act. The United States alleged that, from 2017 to 2023, the defendants failed to develop or follow individualized care plans for their residents.

Specifically, in many cases, the facilities failed to provide adequate wound care to prevent pressure ulcers, failed to maintain residents’ hygiene and to provide showers as required, and failed to provide residents with appropriate assistance with feeding, which led to severe weight loss in many cases. To conceal their provision of grossly substandard care, in some cases, defendants falsely documented in resident medical records that care and services had been provided to residents when it had not been.

“An increasing number of older adults and persons with disabilities are residing in long-term care facilities. These residents are often particularly vulnerable to inadequate assessment and treatment of their needs,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Beginning almost 30 years ago, the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed some of the first False Claims Act complaints and reached some of the first settlements in the United States to focus on quality of care in the nursing home environment. Today’s complaint again serves notice to the nursing home industry that a failure to provide adequate nursing home care will not be tolerated. Public funds expended for nursing home residents must result in appropriate care, which is what the government pays for, and the law requires.”

“The Justice Department is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society, including elderly and infirm individuals who depend on nursing homes for safe and dignified skilled nursing care,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Grossly substandard care places nursing home residents at serious risk of harm and this suit sends a clear message that we will pursue healthcare providers who fail to meet their legal obligations to provide required care and who betray the trust of the residents they are meant to serve.”

The complaint in intervention is the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Degnan and Gerald B. Sullivan and Fraud Section attorneys Susan C. Lynch, Robbin O. Lee, and Samuel P. Robins.

The case is captioned United States, et al., ex. rel. Compton v. HCR ManorCare, Inc., et al., No. 16-cv-0851 (E.D. Pa.).

The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jessika L. Hiepler, 47, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a $10,000 fine, 100 hours of community service, and $432,925.35 in restitution for her scheme to defraud two nonprofit veterans organizations, American Legion Post 34 and American Veterans Post 19. Hiepler and her associate netted over $1.425 million from the fraud scheme.

In August of last year, the defendant was charged by information with two counts of wire fraud, and she pleaded guilty in September. As part of her plea agreement, Hiepler also agreed to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $1,425,847.24.

As detailed in court filings, for nearly 15 years, Hiepler served as a board member and as the manager, treasurer, and financial officer for American Legion Post 34 (“Legion Post 34”). In 2019, Hiepler offered to “bail out” a separate veterans organization, American Veterans Post 19 (“AMVETS Post 19”), that was facing financial difficulties. Under the pretext of bailing out AMVETS Post 19, Hiepler assumed control over its financial affairs and acquired its valuable four-acre commercial property in Lancaster through theft, deceit, and misrepresentation. While Hiepler presented herself as a good-hearted veteran looking out for other veterans, she lied, stole, manipulated records, and betrayed her employers’ trust for her own financial benefit.

First, Hiepler misled AMVETS Post 19 to secure approval for the “bailout,” including with the false promises of an interest-free loan, minimal rent, and full transparency. To raise funds for the “bailout,” she diverted funds from her then-employer, Legion Post 34.

Once in control of AMVETS Post 19’s finances, Hiepler stole from AMVETS Post 19 and used its funds for her own benefit. She concealed her self-dealing, manipulated and altered financial records, and destroyed financial and business records at both Legion Post 34 and AMVETS Post 19.

From the outset, the defendant schemed about making money and selling the AMVETS Post 19’s property on Fairview Avenue in Lancaster. In Hiepler’s own words:

• “[W]e will make our money and they [AMVETS Post 19] can kiss our a[**]”
• “I am ready to get rid of these motherf[*****]s. . . . I can’t wait for sh[**] to be ours”
• “I can’t wait to see their face when we hand them their eviction notice”
• “Wizardry at work / Madoff activated”
• “Honestly all I want is my money. That’s it. I could care f[***]ing less about any of them.”

Three years after acquiring the AMVETS Post 19’s property for a below-market rate of $500,000 through the “bailout,” Hiepler’s real estate investment company sold the fraudulently obtained property for $1.95 million and booked a gain of $1.425 million after expenses.

“Jessika Hiepler abused the great reputation of veterans to win the trust of those who support them,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “All the while, she boasted about her schemes, mocked her victims, and celebrated her role in their misfortunes. These were calculated crimes of greed, not of impulse or desperation, and justice demanded that Hiepler be held to account.”

“Jessika Hiepler and her associate pocketed over one million dollars intended for organizations that support our nation’s veterans, and today illustrates our commitment to holding to account anyone who preys on the public for personal profit,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Our office, alongside our law enforcement partners at every level, will continue to safeguard the integrity of these organizations and bring these fraudsters to justice.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Lancaster City Bureau of Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel Dalke and J. Andrew Jenemann.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that four men convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this week.

Kevin Emmanuel Rodriguez-Martinez, 32, a Honduran national, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Catherine Henry to time served, just over two months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

Rodriguez-Martinez had been previously removed from the United States in September 2011 and November 2012, following encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) became aware in May of this year that Rodriguez-Martinez had unlawfully returned to the U.S. In June, HSI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers located the defendant in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and took him into custody. He was charged by information with illegal reentry the same month and pleaded guilty this week, waiving prosecution by indictment.

Osman Guevara-Guevara, 35, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. yesterday to time served, about two and a half months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.

In February 2012, Guevara-Guevara was arrested by ICE near Seattle, Washington, and was removed to Honduras in April of that year. Following his removal, the defendant illegally re-entered the United States on an unknown date, was arrested in southern Texas by the U.S. Border Patrol in March 2013, and was removed from the country that April.

Earlier this year, ICE became aware that Guevara-Guevara had been arrested by the Phoenixville (Pa.) Police Department — after having entered the country without authorization a third time — and took him into custody in June. In July, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty this week.

Jorge Miles, 30, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Costello on Tuesday to eight months in prison for illegally reentering the United States. Upon the completion of his sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Miles had previously been removed from the U.S. in March 2014, after he was arrested by the East Norriton Township (Pa.) Police Department and pleaded guilty to robbery. He reentered the country illegally on an unknown date.

In February of this year, ICE became aware that Miles had been arrested by the West Whiteland Township (Pa.) Police Department and took him into custody. In April, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty in May.

Yobani Bonilla-Bonilla, aka Gilberto Perez Alvarado, 40, a Honduran national, was sentenced by Judge Henry on Monday to time served, almost two months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Bonilla-Bonilla had previously been removed from the U.S. in June 2015, after he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas. He reentered the country illegally on an unknown date.

In May of this year, ICE received information that the defendant was residing in Easton, Pennsylvania, and that there was an active arrest warrant for him in Honduras.

ICE located Bonilla-Bonilla and took him into custody in June, with the assistance of HSI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in July and pleaded guilty this week.

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, HSI, and the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalynda M. Michetti, Rebecca Kulik, and Shayna Gannone.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that ViaClean Technologies, LLC and its founder, James Young, 46, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, were charged by indictment with conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, and violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”). Sean Storrie, 59, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was also charged with FIFRA violations.

Young and Storrie made their initial appearances in federal magistrate court in Philadelphia this afternoon. ViaClean Technologies, LLC will have its initial appearance on September 5.

The indictment alleges that ViaClean Technologies, LLC and Young conspired with others to sell registered pesticides using false and misleading claims about the products, knowingly misleading potential customers by claiming that the pesticide products, which were used to inhibit the growth of odor-causing and stain-causing bacteria, fungi (mold and mildew), and algae, were effective at killing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. All defendants are also charged with misdemeanor FIFRA violations for selling the pesticide products by making claims that differed from the approved master labels for the products.

The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and the United States Postal Inspection Service 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.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Xavier Peterson, 19, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, arising from an armed carjacking earlier this year.

Peterson was ordered detained in federal custody at a detention hearing this afternoon.

The indictment alleges that, on April 4, 2025, the defendant carjacked a couple at gunpoint, forcing them out of their vehicle, which he then stole.

As detailed in court filings, on the night of April 4, Victim 1 parked his Subaru Crosstrek in West Philadelphia, to drop off his girlfriend, Victim 2. A masked male approached the couple, pointed a handgun at them, and forced them out of the car. The carjacker then drove away from the scene.

Approximately 40 minutes after the carjacking, Victim 2 received a notification that her credit card, which had been in the Crosstrek, was used in Upper Darby, Pa. Law enforcement in Delaware County began searching for the carjacked vehicle.

About an hour after the carjacking, a Haverford police officer saw the stolen car speeding on West Chester Pike towards the Blue Route. When the officer proceeded to pull the vehicle over on Interstate 476, court filings allege, the defendant fled from the driver’s seat on foot, while the vehicle’s three passengers remained in the car. About five minutes after Peterson fled, officers found him hiding in the underbrush next to the highway, and subsequently located a loaded semiautomatic handgun lying nearby.

If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department, the Haverford Township Police Department, the Radnor Township Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Miller.

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.

Mark Tucci, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before U.S. District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to multiple charges arising from racist, violent threats made by phone, email, text message, and in person, that targeted African Americans.

The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in January of this year and charged by information in March with one count each of a threat to use a dangerous weapon, interfering with federally protected activities, cyberstalking, interstate communication of threats, and threats interfering with federally protected activities. Tucci pleaded guilty to all the charges.

As detailed in the information and other court filings, the defendant repeatedly called and sent text messages and emails that consisted of racial epithets and violent threats to harm an employee (Victim 1) of an agency of the City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Agency 1), and Victim 1’s colleagues.

Between about April 18, 2024, and June 2, 2024, Tucci emailed Victim 1 multiple times regarding a records request he had made to the agency. This escalated on June 3, 2024, when he repeatedly called Philadelphia Agency 1, and during two of those calls, he spoke with Victim 1, identified himself by name, and screamed at Victim 1, who asked him to stop screaming. He continued to do so, causing Victim 1 to hang up each time.

During subsequent calls on June 3 with Philadelphia Agency 1, Tucci spoke with two of Victim 1’s colleagues, using racial epithets and making threats. Specifically, the defendant said that he was going to come down to Philadelphia Agency 1 the next day and hurt everyone, and that he had Victim 1’s home address and was going to hurt Victim 1.

Tucci sent multiple emails to Victim 1 the same day, using similar racial epithets and threats. He also texted Victim 1 on their personal cell phone, a phone number that Victim 1 had never provided to the defendant. The text messages from Tucci to Victim 1 mentioned Victim 1 by name, and the name of the street on which Victim 1 resided at the time. The messages included a warning that “This is personal now,” and additional threatening language.

Tucci’s communications caused Victim 1 severe emotional distress, and fear that Tucci would find Victim 1 and seriously injure or kill them or their family members.

Tucci willfully intimidated and interfered, and attempted to intimidate and interfere, with Victim 1 because of Victim 1’s race and color, and because Victim 1 was enjoying employment by, and all perquisites of, an agency of the City of Philadelphia, a subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Also detailed in court filings, on the morning of Feb. 1, 2024, Tucci pulled up next to another car in heavy traffic on I-95 southbound, lowered his windows, and repeatedly screamed racial epithets and threats to kill and shoot the other car’s driver (Victim 2), who is African American. Tucci then reached down into his car, pulled out a glass mug containing coffee, and threw it at Victim 2’s vehicle, terrifying Victim 2 and damaging their car.

The defendant will be sentenced in December of 2025 and faces a maximum penalty of 21 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Jeanette Kang for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Samuel Kuhn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mark Tucci, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to multiple charges arising from racist, violent threats made by phone, email, text message, and in person, that targeted African Americans.

The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in January of this year and charged by information in March with one count each of a threat to use a dangerous weapon, interfering with federally protected activities, cyberstalking, interstate communication of threats, and threats interfering with federally protected activities. Tucci pleaded guilty to all the charges.

As detailed in the information and other court filings, the defendant repeatedly called and sent text messages and emails that consisted of racial epithets and violent threats to harm an employee (Victim 1) of an agency of the City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Agency 1), and Victim 1’s colleagues.

Between about April 18, 2024, and June 2, 2024, Tucci emailed Victim 1 multiple times regarding a records request he had made to the agency. This escalated on June 3, 2024, when he repeatedly called Philadelphia Agency 1, and during two of those calls, he spoke with Victim 1, identified himself by name, and screamed at Victim 1, who asked him to stop screaming. He continued to do so, causing Victim 1 to hang up each time.

During subsequent calls on June 3 with Philadelphia Agency 1, Tucci spoke with two of Victim 1’s colleagues, using racial epithets and making threats. Specifically, the defendant said that he was going to come down to Philadelphia Agency 1 the next day and hurt everyone, and that he had Victim 1’s home address and was going to hurt Victim 1.

Tucci sent multiple emails to Victim 1 the same day, using similar racial epithets and threats. He also texted Victim 1 on their personal cell phone, a phone number that Victim 1 had never provided to the defendant. The text messages from Tucci to Victim 1 mentioned Victim 1 by name, and the name of the street on which Victim 1 resided at the time. The messages included a warning that “This is personal now,” and additional threatening language.

Tucci’s communications caused Victim 1 severe emotional distress, and fear that Tucci would find Victim 1 and seriously injure or kill them or their family members.

Tucci willfully intimidated and interfered, and attempted to intimidate and interfere, with Victim 1 because of Victim 1’s race and color, and because Victim 1 was enjoying employment by, and all perquisites of, an agency of the City of Philadelphia, a subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Also detailed in court filings, on the morning of February 1, 2024, Tucci pulled up next to another car in heavy traffic on I-95 southbound, lowered his windows, and repeatedly screamed racial epithets and threats to kill and shoot the other car’s driver (Victim 2), who is African American. Tucci then reached down into his car, pulled out a glass mug containing coffee, and threw it at Victim 2’s vehicle, terrifying Victim 2 and damaging their car.

The incident occurred while Victim 2 was enjoying a facility provided and administered by a State and a subdivision thereof, that is, driving on I-95.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang and Trial Attorney Samuel Kuhn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Rubiel Perez, 31, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for carrying out an armed robbery spree in Lehigh County, Pa., in March of 2023.

Perez was charged by indictment in November 2023 and pleaded guilty in March of this year to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

As detailed in the indictment and admitted to by the defendant, on March 28, 2023, Perez entered a 7-Eleven convenience store on Union Boulevard in Allentown, pointed a handgun at a store employee, and stole $937 before fleeing.

The next night, the defendant targeted a 7-Eleven convenience store on South 4th Street in Allentown. He pointed a handgun at a store employee and threatened him, before stealing $150 from the store. Later that same night, the defendant entered a 7-Eleven on West Tilghman Street in South Whitehall Township and attempted to rob the store by pointing a firearm at the store employee and threatening him.

“Three times in two days, Rubiel Perez pointed his gun at store clerks and made them fear for their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Prosecuting violent offenders is a priority for my office. We will not permit criminals to prey on the people in our communities.”

“In 25 hours, Rubiel Perez robbed three 7-Eleven stores, threatening the employees’ lives at gunpoint,” said Shannon Hamm, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Stopping violent criminals who terrorize our communities like Perez is a primary ATF mission. Thanks to our agents’, detectives’, and prosecutors’ combined efforts, he is now going to federal prison where he will no longer endanger this town. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to make Pennsylvania’s communities safer for all.”

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Allentown Police Department, and the South Whitehall Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert W. Schopf.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that James Sessoms, 60, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney to 28 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $398,708.58 in restitution, for his scheme to use stolen identities and Social Security numbers (SSNs) to file for government benefits, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid payments, with a total loss to the government of $1,063,633. As part of the scheme, the defendant would sell the fraudulently acquired SNAP cards for profit at a local supermarket.

Sessoms was charged by indictment in October of 2024 and pleaded guilty this April to one count of SNAP fraud, seven counts of false statements in connection with health care benefits, and seven counts of Social Security fraud.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from approximately November 2019 through November 2023, Sessoms defrauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of SNAP benefits, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) of Medicaid benefits, by submitting false and fraudulent benefit applications, including false and fraudulent identification documents in connection with his applications.

As part of the scheme, Sessoms obtained or created the names, SSNs, and personally identifiable information for several fictitious persons, and obtained the names and personally identifiable information of other persons, including valid SSNs, which he placed on the applications for SNAP and Medical benefits, which were submitted to PA DHS under penalty of perjury. To obtain these benefits, Sessoms also submitted false and fraudulent driver’s licenses bearing his photograph under those fictitious and other persons’ names.

On some of the online applications, the defendant added purported family members, such as a spouse and children, which caused for more funds to be awarded for SNAP benefits, but also caused additional Medicaid costs, including additional costs for all of the added family members. To obtain these benefits with family members on the applications, Sessoms submitted fraudulent names and personally identifiable information for a spouse and children, to include fraudulent birth certificates for the children. The Social Security numbers utilized in connection with these identities were valid SSNs, assigned by the Commissioner of Social Security, but assigned to other individuals than the names alleged by the defendant.

From approximately November 2019 to November 2023, PA DHS, with joint federal funding from HHS, provided Medicaid coverage to Sessoms under his numerous aliases, as well as to his purported family members as he indicated on his fraudulent applications.

Over the same time period, PA DHS, with federal funding from the USDA, provided SNAP benefits to Sessoms under his numerous aliases, as well as to his purported family members as he indicated on his fraudulent applications.

“Stealing money from government programs is an awful crime,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will continue to prosecute fraud against the government and hold crooks like Sessoms accountable, on behalf of all the taxpayers funding these programs.”

“We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners for their hard work on this investigation. Those who are involved in fraud regarding USDA taxpayer-funded programs will be investigated by our office to protect the integrity of those programs,” said USDA Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker.

“Mr. Sessoms orchestrated an audacious scheme—creating fake Social Security numbers while exploiting real ones—to siphon off more than $1 million from programs meant to safeguard the most vulnerable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General, Social Security Administration. “Let this case serve as a warning; those who exploit taxpayer-funded programs will be met with aggressive investigation and prosecution.”

The case was investigated by the USDA-OIG, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, HHS Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Cristian Geovanni Rojas Benitez, 37, a Mexican national who overstayed his visa and remained illegally in the United States, was charged by indictment with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with an officer of the United States, while using a deadly or dangerous weapon, that is, a motor vehicle, while the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that, on the morning of June 23, 2025, the defendant used his full-size pickup truck to assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), while the agent was carrying out his official duties.

As detailed in court filings, on that date, the HSI agent and other federal officers were attempting to locate Rojas Benitez and take him into administrative custody because he violated the terms of his release pending removal proceedings.

Based on information they had received, the federal officers surveilled a Downingtown, Pennsylvania, residence. At approximately 8:30 a.m., a man matching the description and photograph of Rojas Benitez exited the residence and got into a pickup truck. When the defendant started to drive away, the federal officers quickly conducted a vehicle stop.

As alleged in court filings, Rojas Benitez did not comply with the federal officers’ commands to get out of the vehicle or roll down his window. During this encounter, the HSI agent moved to the front of the vehicle to maintain visibility of the driver. The law enforcement officers told Rojas Benitez that if he did not comply, his window would be broken, and when Rojas Benitez continued not to comply after multiple warnings, one of the federal officers broke the rear driver’s side window of the truck.

As alleged, the defendant then put the vehicle in drive and drove over the sidewalk in the direction of the HSI agent, who had to push off the truck with his hand and jump out of way to avoid being struck. As alleged, the defendant also narrowly avoided hitting a passing school bus. The defendant then fled the state and was ultimately located by the U.S. Marshals Service in Washington, D.C., on July 24.

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 HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

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 – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Earl Burford, 47, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to nine years in prison, six years of supervised release, and $3,000 in restitution, for child pornography and firearms offenses.

The defendant was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2024, then charged by information in March of this year with distribution of child pornography and possession of a firearm by a felon. Burford pleaded guilty to both counts in May, waiving prosecution by indictment.

As detailed in court filings, in August 2024, the FBI learned that a user of the instant messaging application Kik, an account named “freakyfam69,” was using the app to communicate regarding child pornography and child abuse, to include sending and receiving images depicting child pornography.

Investigators received information from Kik that “freakyfam69” used the email address “[email protected]” to register the Kik account.

When law enforcement obtained subscriber and IP login information for that email, it showed that “[email protected]” was subscribed to an Earl Burford, with the IP addresses used to access the email account matching the IP information provided by Kik for the user “freakyfam69.”

Cellular phone records subsequently obtained by the FBI showed that the defendant was the subscriber of the IP addresses in question.

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 Oklahoma City and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Robert Rosado, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with false impersonation of a federal officer and robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), in connection with the June 8, 2025, robbery of an auto repair shop.

The indictment alleges that Rosado entered the auto repair shop, located on the 6400 block of Harbison Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia, and identified himself as a federal immigration officer. He then allegedly victimized a female employee, forcefully restraining her and stealing $1,000 from the business.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 23 years’ imprisonment and a $500,000 fine.

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 Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Martin and Special Assistant United States Attorney Meghan A. Farley.

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 – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Zyair Dangerfield-Hill, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond to 199 months in prison and five years of supervised release for the gunpoint carjacking of a 73-year-old man in April 2021.

The defendant was charged by indictment in July of that year with one count of carjacking and aiding and abetting, and one count of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. In April of this year, he was convicted on both charges at trial.

As proven at trial, just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, the victim was walking his dog on Pine Street, in the Spruce Hill neighborhood of West Philadelphia, and had stopped to put something in his parked vehicle, when the defendant and his associate walked up and pointed loaded handguns at the victim. They demanded the victim’s car keys, cell phone, and wallet, and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t comply.

The victim told them that he didn’t have his wallet or phone on him, but handed over a $20 bill and his car keys. At that time, two other males approached, also pointing their guns at the victim. All four of the carjackers then jumped into the victim’s vehicle, with the defendant in the front passenger seat, and drove away.

The Philadelphia Police Department was alerted about the carjacking, with officers arriving on scene a few minutes later. They broadcast over police radio a description of the victim’s vehicle, the four carjackers, and their direction of travel, and two officers on patrol spotted a car matching that description about a mile from the carjacking scene.

The officers turned on their lights and sirens and pursued the stolen car, which was driving erratically and at a high rate of speed, soon crashing into yellow metal pillars at 52nd Street and Paschall Avenue. Four males jumped out of the car and took off running, with the officers giving chase on foot. A short time later, the defendant was found hiding behind a motorcycle about three and a half blocks from the crash scene. DNA, latent prints, location data, and other evidence subsequently linked the defendant to the crime.

“Dangerfield-Hill participated in the ambush of an innocent stranger in a brazen daylight carjacking, the victim surrounded by assailants pointing guns and shouting threats,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will not permit armed criminals to prey on people in this city. We’ll continue to work with our partners to put violent offenders behind bars, where they belong.”

“Let this sentencing serve as a clear warning to anyone considering violent crime in our city: we will find you, and we will bring you to justice,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Carjackings are a vicious crime that endanger lives, spread fear, and erode the very fabric of community safety. The FBI will continue working side by side with our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department to protect our citizens and ensure those who commit these crimes are held fully accountable.”

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Weisberg.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Daishaun “Daisha” Hughes-Murchison, 30, Brian Wallace, 31, and Trayvine Jackson, 31, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and use of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, in connection with the June 21, 2025, armed robbery of a Brink’s armored car, in which they stole more than 2 million dollars.

The defendants had their initial appearances in court last week. Jackson has been ordered detained, Wallace and Hughes-Murchison will have detention hearings later this week.

As presented in the criminal complaints and other filings, on June 21, 2025, at approximately 8 a.m., a Brink’s armored car driver was nearing a Home Depot on the 2500 block of Castor Avenue in Philadelphia, as part of his scheduled route.

The driver was walking down the rear alley of Home Depot, when two men armed with AR-style rifles approached him from behind. The men forced the driver to the ground, disarmed him of his company-issued firearm, and took his keys. One of the robbers stayed with the driver, while the other entered the armored vehicle and stole a significant amount of cash belonging to Brink’s Inc.

The two men then fled in a black Hyundai Sonata bearing a Virginia temporary tag, with a third man following in silver Ford Fusion with a Pennsylvania tag.

As alleged, investigators determined that the Ford Fusion belonged to Hughes-Murchison, and the Hyundai Sonata had been rented by Wallace, who returned the car a few hours after the robbery. Video surveillance footage obtained by law enforcement showed that, after returning the Sonata, Wallace walked to Hughes-Murchison’s Fusion, got into the passenger side, and the vehicle left. Cell records place the phones of defendants Wallace and Jackson in the area of the car rental site at that time, the complaints allege, and place Wallace’s and Hughes-Murchison’s phones in the area of the Home Depot at the time of the robbery.

As detailed in court filings, Brink’s advised investigators that Jackson had been a Brink’s employee, until he was suspended and then terminated after an internal investigation.

This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz.

The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Shurlan Guppy, aka Shurlan Gorin, Rafael Oquendo, Christopher Hughes Matthews, and Marc Roman, 48, of Trinidad and Tobago, was arrested and charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and cocaine and related drug offenses.

Guppy made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania last week, following his extradition from Trinidad and Tobago. He was ordered detained in federal custody at a detention hearing this afternoon.

The indictment alleges that, from approximately 2017 to July 2022, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the District of Delaware and elsewhere, Guppy conspired with others to distribute bulk amounts of various controlled substances, including heroin and cocaine.

The indictment further alleges that Guppy distributed such controlled substances in person and by other means, including through various delivery services in exchange for cash.

Guppy and the others communicated with each other in person and via cell phones, the indictment alleges, sometimes on Facetime and through encrypted internet/phone application WhatsApp, to discuss pricing, availability, and delivery and payment arrangements for controlled substances, sometimes using coded language to describe their drug trafficking activities.

If convicted of all charges, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lizmar Bosques.

Significant assistance with the extradition was provided by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and its Transnational Organized Crime Unit, the Trinidad and Tobago Central Authority of the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago Customs and Immigration, the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

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 – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that West End Services, Inc. will pay $825,000 to resolve liability allegations under the False Claims Act.

West End Services, Inc. (“WES”) and its owner-pharmacist, Christopher Leon, have agreed to pay $825,000 to the federal government, based on their ability to pay, to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare for prescription medications that were not actually dispensed. During the period of January 1, 2014, to February 24, 2019, WES billed Medicare for prescription drugs that were not actually dispensed to Medicare beneficiaries. These medications included, but were not limited to, Latuda, Humira, Abilify, Invega Sustenna, Seroquel, Acyclovir, Flovent, and Truvada.

“Pharmacy fraud remains a priority for our office and taxpayer dollars should be spent on needed medications, not wasted on fraud and abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Pharmacies and pharmacists have a responsibility to serve as gatekeepers of a closed system of prescription drug distribution. That responsibility was allegedly used for profit here. This investigation and resolution illustrate this District’s continued emphasis on combatting healthcare fraud, including pharmacy fraud. One of the most powerful tools to combat this type of waste, fraud, and abuse is the False Claims Act, and this District maintains one of the most active affirmative civil dockets in the country.”

Other similar pharmacy fraud settlements include:

• Pennmark Pharmacy (2024)
• Future Pharmacy Inc. and JJ Pharmacy (2023)
• Fountain Hill Pharmacy (2023)
• Northeast Discount Pharmacy (2022)
• Murray-Overhill Pharmacy, Inc. (2022)
• LAN Apothecary, Inc. (2021)
• G&A Somerton Pharmacy LLC (2019)

“As U.S. Attorney Metcalf said, this investigation further solidifies this District’s focus on holding pharmacies and healthcare providers accountable for their handling of controlled substances, and the importance of maintaining on honest inventory balance, instead of putting profits at the forefront,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Pharmacies are integral partners in patient care, and they are expected to act with integrity. We take allegations of pharmacy fraud seriously, and today’s settlement reflects our commitment to working with our partners to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in an appropriate manner — on needed services, not wasted on fraud and abuse.”

This investigation was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Service Office of Inspector General. For the United States Attorney’s Office, Assistant United States Attorney Alfred J. Vogt and former Assistant United States Attorney Deborah W. Frey handled the investigation, with contributions from auditor George Niedzwicki.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Christopher Burton, 45, and Khalil Jackson-Fletcher, 33, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were convicted today at trial of charges arising from the kidnapping of one individual in December 2021, the kidnappings of five individuals, including an infant, in February 2022, and related crimes.

The defendants were charged by indictment in August of 2023 with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. A federal jury convicted both defendants of all counts.

As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, Burton orchestrated both kidnappings to steal large sums of money from the intended victims, who were known to him, and enlisted Jackson-Fletcher and other co-conspirators to participate.

In December 2021, Burton placed ads offering vending machines for sale on the online marketplace OfferUp, as a ruse to attract his intended victim, who contacted him and agreed to buy the machines. The two arranged to meet in Northeast Philadelphia on December 18, 2021, to complete the deal. On that date, however, the purchaser’s then-business partner (Victim 1), went to the meetup in the purchaser’s place.

When Victim 1 arrived, Jackson-Fletcher and a co-conspirator forced Victim 1 into his own transit van at gunpoint, maintaining constant communication with Burton, who was watching nearby. The men zip-tied Victim 1’s wrists together and took his wallet and cell phone, using the phone to transfer approximately $6,000 from the victim’s Cash App account into an account they controlled. The men then transferred the Victim 1 into their vehicle and drove him to several ATMs, forcing him to withdraw more than $9,000 from his bank account. The abductors eventually released Victim 1.

In January 2022, Burton came up with a plan to kidnap and steal money from Victim 2, who owned a business that purchased, sold, and shipped goods throughout Pennsylvania, other states, and other countries.

On February 4, 2022, at around 10 a.m., Victim 2 left his Northeast Philadelphia home to go to work. As he was walking to his car, Burton, Jackson-Fletcher, and a co-conspirator pulled up in a car, forced Victim 2 into their vehicle at gunpoint, then handcuffed him, and took his cell phone, cash, and bank cards. They proceeded to pistol whip Victim 2, demanding more money.

The abductors were eventually able to wire $25,000 from the victim’s bank account to an account that they controlled, but continued to demand even more money, brutally assaulting Victim 2. That night, the men brought Victim 2 back to his residence. Burton and Jackson-Fletcher then forced Victim 2 and Victim 2’s wife into the basement and ransacked the space, looking for more money.

For more than two days, the abductors held the family captive in their home, beating, burning, and torturing Victim 2 and choking him and his wife, with Jackson-Fletcher even choking the baby. At times, the men forced Victim 2 to leave with them, driving him around to multiple banks so that he could withdraw cash, to stores to buy merchandise with his bank card, and to a local casino, where they made Victim 2 take out a $25,000 cash advance.

On the evening of February 6, 2022, Burton left Victim 2’s home after an argument with a co-conspirator and fled the Philadelphia area. The same night, Jackson-Fletcher and the other co-conspirators took Victim 2 from the home to a local casino, where they released him.

Burton and Jackson-Fletcher are scheduled to be sentenced on November 18. They face maximum possible sentences of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of 34 years.

“Burton and Jackson-Fletcher thoroughly terrorized their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “The lengths the defendants went to — to steal other people’s hard-earned money — are chilling. While today’s verdict can’t reverse the physical and emotional harm done, it ensures that these violent offenders don’t walk free to hurt anyone else.”

“Burton and Jackson-Fletcher are convicted of a vicious nightmarish crime spree,” said Shannon Hamm, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “They stalked their victims, kidnapping them at gunpoint. Holding a family and baby hostage, they tortured their victims for three days while repeatedly robbing them. These criminals’ efforts to disguise themselves was no match to the meticulous work of the ATF Special Agents, Philadelphia Police Detectives and federal prosecutors who brought these brutal criminals to justice.”

“This case represents some of the most disturbing and violent criminal behavior our city has seen,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “The cruelty these victims endured is unimaginable. I commend the tireless work of our detectives, our federal partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in securing these convictions. Today’s verdict is a powerful message - that those who commit such heinous acts in our communities will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice.”

This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Jeanette Kang and Anthony Carissimi and Special Assistant United States Attorney Izabella Babchinetskaya.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Khyrie Brown, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert to 36 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and full restitution, for his role in the armed robbery of a North Philadelphia dollar store.

Brown was charged by indictment in July 2024 with robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and pleaded guilty in March of this year.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on November 6, 2023, at approximately 6:30 p.m., he and three other males entered a dollar store on the 2800 block of Ridge Avenue. One of the males approached the counter and pretended to purchase multiple items.

At that same time, one of the other males pulled out what appeared to be a black handgun, pointed it at the store clerk and told the clerk to open the safe. Two of the robbers jumped the counter, while the other two circled around the counter, where Brown then removed a cash drawer from the safe and carried it out of the store. All four males entered a waiting getaway vehicle and fled the scene with approximately $3,000 in coins and U.S. currency.

Responding Philadelphia police officers tracked the group to the area of 30th and Gordon streets, where a police K9 located Brown hiding in an abandoned property on the 2300 block of North 30th Street.

This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that three men convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations have been sentenced.

Wilfido Hernandez-Ordonez, aka Leo Acevedo and Leo Hernandez, 40, a Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty today to illegal reentry and was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to time served, almost three months. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Hernandez-Ordonez previously had been deported from the United States in May 2009, pursuant to the order of an immigration judge. Following his removal, the defendant illegally re-entered the United States on an unknown date.

Earlier this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) became aware that Hernandez-Ordonez was in the Lehigh County jail, taking him into custody in May. He was charged by information with illegal reentry in June.

Leondro Medina-Murillo, 45, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty today to illegal reentry and was sentenced by United States District Judge John M. Younge to time served, almost four months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Medina-Murillo had previously been removed from the U.S. in September 2013, after his conviction in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on a state drug charge. He was subsequently removed twice more, in April 2014 and May 2014, following encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in California.

In January of this year, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information that Medina-Murillo had returned to the U.S. and was living in Chester County. After conducting records checks and surveillance to verify his identity and location, HSI took Medina-Murillo into custody in April. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in May.

Jillian Santiago-Cruz, aka Julian Santiago, Julian Santigo Rodas, and Julian Santiago De La Cruz, 38, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston last week to time served, about three and a half months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

In March 2011, an immigration judge ordered Santiago-Cruz’s removal from the U.S. in absentia, due to his illegal entry. He was eventually deported in November of 2019, following his conviction in Ohio for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The defendant later re-entered the United States illegally and was arrested in March of this year by the Plymouth Township (Pa.) Police Department on several charges.

ICE became aware of Santiago-Cruz’s arrest and took him into custody in April. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry the same month and pleaded guilty in June.

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 are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Schopf, J. Andrew Jenemann, and Mary E. Crawley.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Fatima DeMaria, 65, of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with eight counts of asylum fraud and eight counts of mail fraud. DeMaria is the owner and operator of Immigration Matters Legal Services, currently located in Oxford, Pa.

The indictment alleges that the defendant falsely represented herself to clients and prospective clients as an immigration attorney who could help undocumented aliens obtain employment authorization or “work permits.” However, DeMaria was neither a licensed attorney, nor accredited or authorized by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR”) to represent individuals in immigration proceedings.

As alleged, from at least December 2021 to July 2024, DeMaria prepared, and caused to be prepared, fraudulent Form I-589 asylum applications in her clients’ names, without their knowledge or consent, knowingly making, and aiding and abetting the making of, false and material misstatements in the I-589 asylum applications.

For example, the defendant caused to be stated on each asylum application that the applicant was “seeking asylum or withholding of removal” based on “political opinion” and “Torture Convention.” Her clients, however, were not seeking asylum based on either of these categories, and never informed DeMaria or anyone at Immigration Matters Legal Services of facts that could make them eligible for asylum under either of these categories.

According to the indictment, DeMaria placed, and caused to be placed, her clients’ signatures on the Form I-589 asylum applications, certifying under penalty of perjury that the applications and supporting evidence were true and correct, again without her clients’ knowledge or consent.

The indictment further alleges that the defendant, and those acting at her direction, failed to advise clients that the mechanism through which she would help them obtain work permits from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was by filing frivolous Form I-589 asylum applications. Nor did the defendant advise clients that, if the asylum applications filed on their behalf were rejected or referred by USCIS, it would result in their being placed in removal proceedings, at which point the filing of the baseless asylum application could jeopardize their eligibility for future immigration benefits.

According to the indictment, DeMaria charged her clients approximately $6,000-9,000 per individual, and $12,000-$15,000 per couple, for her purported legal services in conjunction with their applications. As alleged in the indictment, she also frequently had her clients pay her in cash or peer-to-peer transactions that were deposited into her personal bank accounts, hundreds of thousands of dollars of which were withdrawn at casinos.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 240 years’ imprisonment and a $4 million fine. The government is also seeking forfeiture of the defendant’s alleged ill-gotten earnings, which are alleged to be at least $1 million.

This is an ongoing matter, with investigators seeking to identify additional potential victims of Fatima DeMaria. Anyone with information on DeMaria’s activities at Immigration Matters Legal Services is asked to contact the FBI via one of these online forms:

Seeking Victim Information in Fatima DeMaria/Immigration Matters Investigation

Se Solicita Información en la Investigación de Fatima DeMaria/Immigration Matters

The case is being investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. USCIS, the Diplomatic Security Service, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service provided assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Solow and Eileen Castilla Geiger.

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 – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Willie Jordan, 68, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III to two counts of wire fraud.

Jordan was charged with those offenses in an information unsealed today, in connection with two separate fraud schemes he conducted.

As detailed in court filings and statements made in court, the defendant was a deacon and trustee for Religious Organization #1, located in Philadelphia, Pa. Jordan was responsible for managing and overseeing various financial matters involving Religious Organization #1, including collecting funds for the organization, depositing those funds in the organization’s bank accounts, and paying the organization’s expenses.

Religious Organization #1 placed defendant Jordan in a position of trust and allowed him to exercise almost total control over its funds. The defendant did not receive a salary from Religious Organization #1. Rather, he received his salary from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he was a Director of Operations for a state senator.

From at least in or about January 2020 through at least in or about January 2024, Jordan exploited Religious Organization #1 for his personal financial benefit. On a regular basis, the defendant improperly issued checks to himself from Religious Organization #1’s business checking account, and made it appear that such checks were to reimburse him for expenses that he incurred on behalf of Religious Organization #1. In fact, Jordan did not incur those expenses and simply issued those checks for his personal benefit. The defendant engaged in this activity fraudulently and without the knowledge or permission of Religious Organization #1, its trustees, or members.

As part of this scheme, Jordan issued approximately 82 fraudulent checks to himself totaling approximately $57,384, resulting in significant losses to Religious Organization #1.

As presented in court filings and statements, Political Organization #1 was one of 66 wards in Philadelphia and a subdivision of Political Organization #2, which represented the interests of a political party in the City of Philadelphia.

From in or about 1996 through in or about April 2025, the defendant was the elected leader of Political Organization #1 and controlled and managed the organization’s finances. Jordan did not receive a salary from Political Organization #1.

From at least in or about January 2020, through at least in or about January 2024, Jordan exploited Political Organization #1 for his personal financial benefit. He opened two bank accounts in name of Political Organization #1, made himself the sole signatory on the accounts in the name of Political Organization #1, and obtained, for both accounts, debit cards that he controlled.

On a regular basis, the defendant improperly conducted financial transactions, through debit card charges, checks, and ATM cash withdrawals, using Political Organization #1’s bank accounts to transfer the funds of Political Organization #1 to himself or others, for his personal benefit.

Jordan used Political Organization #1’s funds for personal purchases at airlines, car dealerships, furniture stores, grocery stores, and other retail establishments. He also used those funds to pay his personal credit card bills, utility bills, and cellular telephone bills. In or about the summer of 2023, Jordan used the funds of Political Organization #1 to pay more than $12,500 in expenses for a family member’s funeral. The defendant engaged in these personal financial transactions without any benefit flowing to Political Organization #1 and without the knowledge or permission of any of its members.

As part of this scheme, Jordan defrauded Political Organization #1 and its members of at least $85,607.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19 and faces a maximum possible term of 20 years’ imprisonment for each count of wire fraud.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen and Special Assistant United States Attorney James E. Price.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Abdul Porter, 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg to 48 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon.

The defendant was charged by indictment with that offense in June 2024 and pleaded guilty in April of this year.

As detailed in court filings, on May 2, 2023, at approximately 9:12 p.m., uniformed officers with the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) were on routine patrol in the 39th District, traveling eastbound on the 1900 block of West Cambria Street. A black Hyundai Sonata traveling westbound passed the officers, who observed and then ran a database search for the car’s South Carolina license plate. The Hyundai, which was occupied by two men, came up as having been stolen in a carjacking in Philadelphia just days prior, on April 28, 2023.

The PPD officers made a U-turn and drove in the same direction as the Hyundai. As they did so, the Hyundai pulled over and parked on the north side of Cambria Street. Approaching in their patrol vehicle, the officers observed the individual in the driver’s seat, later identified as the defendant, exit the stolen vehicle and cross Cambria Street. Soon thereafter, Porter started running and was quickly apprehended.

One of the police officers then went back to the Hyundai and saw a black gun in plain view on the floor in front of the driver’s seat. A subsequent DNA analysis of the firearm by the PPD lab found evidence of Porter’s DNA on the weapon, a Ruger 9mm semiautomatic pistol.

Porter had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was not permitted to possess a firearm.

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Zaleski.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Joshua Lang, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to 430 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for extensive child sexual exploitation and child pornography offenses. The defendant was also ordered to pay $23,545 in restitution and $14,300 in special assessments.

As detailed in court filings, the crimes of Lang and his partner, co-defendant Kenneth Miller, came to light after the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit (PPD SVU) began investigating a lead from the Tampa (Fla.) Police Department in July 2023 that Lang had purchased child pornography from a 13-year-old girl on Instagram in December 2022.

On July 19, 2023, PPD SVU and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia executed a state search warrant at Lang and Miller’s Mayfair residence based on this information. As the search unfolded, law enforcement learned that Lang and Miller’s child sexual abuse and exploitation activities extended far beyond Lang’s online activities, to include hands-on sexual abuse of children, and their scheme to manufacture, trade, and collect videos and images of one of their victims, his siblings, and his friends.

Lang and Miller were arrested the same day and charged in Philadelphia County with numerous sexual offenses. They remained in Philadelphia County custody until they were charged in federal court via complaint and warrant in September 2023.

On February 8, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a 16-count indictment against Lang and Miller, charging them with conspiracy to manufacture child pornography and six counts of manufacture and aiding and abetting the manufacture of child pornography. Lang was also charged with three additional counts of manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography and three additional counts of receipt of child pornography.

Miller, who pleaded guilty to multiple offenses, was sentenced in September of last year to 400 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

The investigation showed, and the defendants subsequently admitted, that over the course of approximately three years, they sexually abused Minor 1 when he was between the ages of 12 and 14 years old, recording videos of the acts to forever memorialize the child’s abuse. The pair also installed hidden cameras in their bathroom and surreptitiously produced and attempted to produce sexually explicit images of at least five children, ages nine to 17, using the bathroom and showering at their residence.

Throughout this three-year period, on a near-daily basis, Lang and Miller discussed with each other their sexual interest in children, strategized ways to groom minor children for sexual abuse and exploitation, and carried out these tactics to gain the child victims’ trust and further increase their access to these children. The defendants also regularly traded and discussed the images and videos of child sexual abuse material that they created of the children.

On his own, Lang also engaged in and recorded hands-on sexual abuse of Minor 2 when she was between the ages of eight and nine years old, sharing the videos with Miller. Lang was also well immersed in the online world of child exploitation, amassing a collection of more than 13,000 unique files of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) on his iPhone, including the images purchased online from a 13-year-old girl that kicked off PPD SVU’s investigation.

“The crimes Lang committed are stomach-turning,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He sexually abused two children, documented that exploitation, and violated the privacy and trust of other children for his and his partner’s gratification. Together, they strategized ways to sexually groom minors to whom they had access. Our community is emphatically safer with these predators in prison, and today’s sentence ensures Lang will remain behind bars where he can’t harm another innocent child.”

“Today’s sentencing brings a just end to the depravity of two grown men, Joshua Lang and Kenneth Miller, who conspired to sexually exploit and abuse innocent children over an extended period of time. Their actions were not only reprehensible but meticulously planned and executed,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “The collaborative efforts of HSI Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania were crucial in uncovering the full extent of their vile actions and bringing them to justice. We remain steadfast in our commitment to relentlessly pursuing those who engage in such abhorrent crimes and safeguarding our communities from such predators.”

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 HSI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Harrell and Amanda McCool.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Brian Zenszer, 44, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III to 144 months’ imprisonment, seven years of supervised release, and $32,000 restitution for child pornography offenses.

The defendant was charged by indictment in December 2024, and, in April, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. At the time of his arrest, Zenszer was employed as a SEPTA police officer.

As presented in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on or about July 21, 2024, Zenszer knowingly distributed a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and, on or about November 6, 2024, possessed a Samsung cellular phone containing visual depictions of minors, including one or more prepubescent minors who had not attained 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

The charges arose from two CyberTips reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding two accounts on the Kik messaging app that had uploaded suspected files of child pornography. Investigators determined both accounts belonged to Zenszer.

“Brian Zenszer broke the law while sworn to uphold it, and the nature of his crimes is truly abhorrent,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Those who trade images of children being sexually abused perpetuate the victimization of the vulnerable, and, like Zenszer, they must be held accountable.”

“Crimes like these are among the most egregious offenses the FBI investigates, and protecting the vulnerable remains one of our top priorities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentencing is a testament to the diligent and unceasing work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners in pursuing justice. We will continue to hold offenders accountable for their crimes and safeguard the innocent from predators.”

“The sentencing of Brian Zenszer sends a clear message that those who engage in the abhorrent act of child pornography will be held accountable,” said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. “We are committed to working with our federal partners, like the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to relentlessly pursue and prosecute individuals who exploit children, ensuring justice for victims and protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maureen McCartney.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $629,043 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to contribute the required percentage of resources in exchange for AmeriCorps funds the county received.

Allegheny County agreed to meet a certain cost-sharing threshold to receive federal funding for its AmeriCorps program. For the 2018 to 2020 grant years, Allegheny County claimed it contributed “in-kind” resources to meet this threshold, including classroom and office space, and salaries of teachers and administrative staff who worked on the AmeriCorps program. However, Allegheny County could not provide supporting documentation for $314,521 of the in-kind contributions it claimed.

This settlement resolves claims that Allegheny misrepresented its in-kind contribution. Allegheny County agreed to pay $629,043, of which $314,521 was restitution.

“When receiving federal funds, grantees must meet the terms of the agreements tied to those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “This settlement is a reminder that organizations receiving federal grant funds must adhere to grant compliance requirements.”

“AmeriCorps programs often require grantees to contribute some of their own resources to ensure the programs are successful,“ said Acting AmeriCorps Inspector General Stephen Ravas. “The AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General will continue our work with our law enforcement partners to pursue organizations that do not hold up their end of the bargain.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania handled this investigation with the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony St. Joseph of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania handled the investigation and settlement.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for transporting a minor with the intent to sexually abuse the child and for accessing with intent to view child pornography. He was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, George Travis Woodfield, 41, of Macungie, drove an 11-year-old child across state lines for an overnight trip to New York City in November 2018 in order to engage in sexual activity with the child. After a day of sightseeing, Woodfield sexually abused the child in his hotel room. Further, between September 2015 and July 2024, Woodfield accessed numerous depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.

“Child sexual abuse is a depraved criminal act that harms the most innocent among us,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This defendant took a child across state lines with the express intent of abusing that child, and he exploited others by viewing child sexual abuse material. We will swiftly bring to justice any individual who commits these horrific crimes against children in our communities.”

“Woodfield didn’t just view images of child sexual abuse, he sought out sex with a child,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “The sexual exploitation of children causes unthinkable harm. While prosecuting a predator like Woodfield can’t undo that damage, his prison sentence prevents him from causing further harm and provides his victim justice.”

“There’s no greater priority than safeguarding our children from those who seek to exploit or harm them,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “I commend the work done by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and our field office whose expertise was critical in bringing this offender to justice. This sentence is a testament to our shared resolve to hunt down predators that rob children of their innocence. We will not rest until those who commit these heinous crimes are held fully accountable.”

"The exploitation of children remains among the most heinous crimes we investigate,” said Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office. “Let today's sentencing send a message: if you prey upon our most vulnerable, you will be found and you will be brought to justice. This case is a powerful testament to the unwavering dedication of the personnel in our Allentown Resident Agency and our law enforcement partners, who work tirelessly to protect our children and ensure those who harm them are held accountable.”

The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and FBI Richmond, with assistance from the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

CEOS Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban, CEOS Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Toritto Leonardo and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca J. Kulik for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that George “Travis” Woodfield, 41, of Macungie, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to 360 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and accessing with intent to view child pornography. Woodfield was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution.

Woodfield was indicted by a federal grand jury in December of last year and pleaded guilty in March.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Woodfield drove an 11-year-old child across state lines for an overnight trip to New York City in November 2018 in order to engage in sexual activity with the child. During the trip, Woodfield sexually abused the child in their hotel room. Further, between September 2015 and July 2024, Woodfield accessed numerous depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.

“Woodfield didn’t just view images of child sexual abuse, he sought out sex with a child,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “The sexual exploitation of children causes unthinkable harm. While prosecuting a predator like Woodfield can’t undo that damage, his prison sentence prevents him from causing further harm and provides his victim justice.”

“The exploitation of children remains among the most heinous crimes we investigate,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Let today’s sentencing send a message: if you prey upon our most vulnerable, you will be found and you will be brought to justice. This case is a powerful testament to the unwavering dedication of the personnel in our Allentown Resident Agency and our law enforcement partners, who work tirelessly to protect our children and ensure those who harm them are held accountable.”

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 Richmond, with assistance from CEOS’s High-Tech Investigations Unit, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca J. Kulik, CEOS Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Toritto Leonardo, and CEOS Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban.

The Justice Department announced today that Grosfillex Inc. (Grosfillex), a patio furniture company located in Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $4.9 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and other statutes by evading antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) on items made of extruded aluminum originating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The Department of Commerce assesses, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects, antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) to level the playing field for domestic producers. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Grosfillex knowingly submitted, and caused to be submitted, false customs forms to CBP claiming that certain furniture parts made of extruded aluminum were not subject to AD/CVD. For a subset of such parts, the United States alleged that Grosfillex attempted to camouflage the aluminum extrusions by packaging the parts as sham furniture “kits.” In addition, for a different subset of such parts, Grosfillex knowingly failed to correct customs forms it had submitted previously, even after learning that the forms falsely stated to CBP that certain extruded aluminum parts were not subject to AD/CVD.

“Antidumping and countervailing duties protect American companies from unfair subsidies and trade practices that harm domestic industries,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Justice Department will continue to actively pursue those who knowingly fail to pay customs duties.”

“This settlement should serve as a warning that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania will use every tool available to combat fraud in international trade,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “We will pursue those who seek an unfair advantage in U.S. markets by attempting to evade paying the customs, duties, or tariffs on foreign imports meant to level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers.”

“The investigation into Grosfillex Inc. highlights our relentless dedication to enforcing our nation's trade laws and protecting the integrity of our economy. By uncovering and dismantling intricate schemes to defraud the government, we ensure that all businesses operate on a fair and level playing field,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at the Philadelphia office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “The successful settlement of this case is a testament to the outstanding collaboration between HSI, CBP and the U.S. Department of Justice. We remain vigilant in our efforts to identify and hold accountable those who attempt to exploit our trade system for their benefit.”

The allegations resolved by this settlement arose from a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act by Edward Wisner, a former employee of Grosfillex. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. Wisner will receive a $962,662.74 share of today’s settlement.

The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from CBP.

Trial Attorney Nelson Wagner in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Sherer for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania handled the matter.

The pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating fraud, waste, and abuse. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential customs fraud can be reported to CBP at www.help.cbp.gov/s/tip.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

Note: Read the Settlement here.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced today that Grosfillex, Inc., a French company that manufactures and imports outdoor furniture, and whose North American headquarters is in Robesonia, Berks County, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $4.9 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and other statutes by evading antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) on items made of extruded aluminum originating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The U.S. Department of Commerce assesses, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects, antidumping and countervailing duties to level the playing field for domestic producers. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies.

The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Grosfillex knowingly submitted, and caused to be submitted, false customs forms to CBP claiming that certain furniture parts made of extruded aluminum were not subject to AD/CVD. For a subset of such parts, the United States alleged that Grosfillex attempted to camouflage the aluminum extrusions by packaging the parts as sham furniture “kits.”

In addition, for a different subset of such parts, Grosfillex knowingly failed to correct customs forms it had submitted previously, even after learning that the forms falsely stated to CBP that certain extruded aluminum parts were not subject to AD/CVD.

“This settlement should serve as a warning that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania will use every tool available to combat fraud in international trade,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will pursue those who seek an unfair advantage in U.S. markets by attempting to evade paying the customs, duties, or tariffs on foreign imports meant to level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers.”

“The investigation into Grosfillex, Inc. highlights our relentless dedication to enforcing our nation’s trade laws and protecting the integrity of our economy. By uncovering and dismantling intricate schemes to defraud the government, we ensure that all businesses operate on a fair and level playing field,” said Edward V. Owens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia. “The successful settlement of this case is a testament to the outstanding collaboration between HSI, CBP and the U.S. Department of Justice. We remain vigilant in our efforts to identify and hold accountable those who attempt to exploit our trade system for their benefit.”

The settlement also resolves a lawsuit originally brought by Edward Wisner, a former Grosfillex employee, filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The civil lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and is captioned United States ex rel. Wisner v. Grosfillex, Inc., No. 20-cv-511. As part of the resolution, Mr. Wisner will receive approximately $963,000. He is represented in this matter by attorney David J. Caputo of Youman & Caputo LLC in Philadelphia.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with investigative assistance from CBP and HSI.

The matter is being handled in the U.S. Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Mark J. Sherer.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ivory S. Cousins, 36, of Glassboro, New Jersey, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to 60 months’ incarceration, a three-year period of supervised release, and a $325 special assessment for violating the constitutional rights of an inmate while employed as a Philadelphia correctional officer. The Philadelphia Department of Prisons provided substantial assistance with this case.

The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2024 with violating the inmate’s constitutional rights for ignoring his significant injuries from an assault by other inmates, pepper spraying him, helping another inmate to steal from him, and obstructing the investigation of what happened to him.

In April of this year, a federal jury convicted Cousins at trial of three counts of depriving an inmate of his civil rights under color of law and one count of filing a false report about the incident.

As proven at trial, while on duty at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, the defendant became aware that an inmate had been assaulted by other inmates and had serious injuries, but she was deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs, failed to get him medical attention, and prevented a superior officer from discovering the inmate’s injuries.

After her partner discovered the injured inmate and called for medical attention, but before assistance arrived to escort him to the medical unit, Cousins subjected the injured inmate to excessive force, unreasonably pepper spraying him.

When the injured inmate had been escorted out of the area for medical attention, Cousins further violated the injured inmate’s constitutional rights by helping one of the inmates involved in his assault to steal the injured inmate’s personal belongings from his cell.

When she later completed a report about the incident, Cousins provided false information about the injured inmate being aggressive, engaging in a fight, and using a weapon.

“Corrections officers have significant authority over the inmates in their charge and it’s their duty to wield that power responsibly,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “If they fail to meet this standard, and violate a prisoner’s civil rights, as with Ivory Cousins, they will be prosecuted and held accountable.”

“Today’s sentencing serves as a powerful reminder that no one is above the law — especially those who take an oath to uphold it,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “The FBI, together with our partners, will continue to pursue allegations of civil rights violations and abuses of power with determination and integrity. We remain firmly committed to holding individuals accountable when they betray the public’s trust.”

This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Jessica Rice.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Pascal Gedeon, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kai N. Scott yesterday to 165 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for child pornography offenses.

The defendant was charged by indictment in May 2021 and pleaded guilty in May of last year to two counts of distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography, charges arising from Gedeon’s sharing of videos and images involving the graphic sexual abuse of children, including toddlers, via his Tumblr blog.

As detailed in court filings and statements, Gedeon ran a Tumblr blog called “younger-are-the-best,” where he posted thousands of images — including 14 lurid video files — depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Moreover, the defendant participated in chat conversations with other Tumblr users, in which he exchanged images containing child pornography. The defendant also admitted to law enforcement that he had uploaded and shared child pornography through multiple other online platforms. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eileen Castilla Geiger and Kelly Harrell.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Hassan Elliott, aka “Haz,” 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to 900 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $2,500 for the fatal shootings of Philadelphia Police Sergeant James O’Connor, Kaseem Rogers, Tyrone Tyree, and Dontae Walker, and numerous other crimes arising from the defendant’s membership in a violent drug trafficking organization known by several names, including “SG1700” and “L-Block,” which operated in the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia.

Elliott, along with Khalif Sears, aka “Leaf” and “Lil Leaf,” 23, Kelvin Jimenez, aka “Nip,” 34, and Dominique Parker, aka “Dom,” 34, all of Philadelphia, were charged in March 2023 by superseding indictment with conspiracy to engage in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO), violent crimes in aid of racketeering, to include murder, stemming from the killings of victims Rogers, Walker, Tyree, and Sergeant O’Connor, and numerous related offenses.

Elliott and Sears pleaded guilty this January to RICO conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, causing the death of Sergeant O’Connor by firearm, and multiple drug, gun, and violent offenses.

Jimenez and Parker were convicted at trial in March of all charges against them, including racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, maintaining a drug-involved premises, assaults in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, and related crimes. Jimenez was also convicted of the murder of Kaseem Rogers, and Parker of the murder of Dontae Walker.

On March 13, 2020, Elliott, Sears, and others previously indicted were inside a stash house on the 1600 block of Bridge Street, when Sergeant O’Connor and other members of the Philadelphia Police Department SWAT team arrived with an arrest warrant for Elliott for the March 2019 murder of Tyrone Tyree. As Sergeant O’Connor and his fellow officers ascended the staircase to the second floor of the residence and repeatedly announced their presence, Elliott fired a semiautomatic assault rifle 16 times, striking and killing Sergeant O’Connor.

Sears, Parker, and Jimenez will be sentenced at a later date.

“Hassan Elliott murdered a police officer who was protecting and serving his community,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Unfortunately, Philadelphia Police Department Sergeant James O’Connor is only one of many victims of SG1700’s rampage of violence. The punishment Mr. Elliott received today is justice for these outrageous crimes, and our efforts — past, present, and future — to prosecute anyone who harms law enforcement will forever honor the sacrifice of Sergeant O’Connor.”

“Hassan Elliott is now facing justice for the murder of Sergeant O’Connor and his other victims,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Philadelphia Field Division. “Criminal gang members can’t hide from the mayhem they inflict, especially when their violence turns against the law enforcement officers who protect our communities. Thanks to the diligent and meticulous work in partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office, Elliott and those who enabled him are being held accountable for these heinous crimes.”

The case was investigated by the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Martin, Christopher Diviny, and Lauren Stram.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ramon Ramirez-Frias, aka “Willy Ramirez-Frias” and “Mollo,” 40, a Dominican national illegally residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Kai N. Scott to nine months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after prior deportation. Upon the completion of his sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

In April 2004, following his arrest by U.S. Border Patrol in Puerto Rico, Ramirez-Frias was processed for voluntary removal from the United States. The defendant later illegally reentered the country, and was arrested by FBI Philadelphia in April of 2022 on federal drug charges. Ramirez-Frias pleaded guilty in February 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and two counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin and was removed from the U.S. in November 2023, pursuant to an immigration judge’s order.

Earlier this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI received information that Ramirez-Frias had returned to the U.S. illegally and was living in Philadelphia. He was located and arrested in February, indicted in March, and pleaded guilty to illegal reentry in April.

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 Enforcement and Removal Operations and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney S. Chandler Harris.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Phillis Fugah, 24, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage on one count of carjacking, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with an August 29, 2024, carjacking and shooting in Upper Darby.

The defendant was charged by indictment in November of last year.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, she and a male subject rushed a Honda Pilot parked on the 7100 block of West Chester Pike, where a man sat in the backseat with his two young children, awaiting his wife’s return. The male subject fled the scene after opening the passenger side door.

Fugah pulled open the front driver’s-side door, got behind the wheel, aimed a gun at the man, and demanded money. The man’s five-year-old son jumped out of the open front passenger door onto the sidewalk. The man got out of the rear driver’s side door and told Fugah that his infant child was still in the vehicle, as he tried to open the front driver’s side door. Fugah resisted and struggled with the man over the door.

The defendant raised her gun and shot at the male victim, with the bullet partially shattering the driver’s side window and hitting the man’s baseball cap, narrowly missing his head. A piece of the bullet struck the window of an occupied SEPTA bus across the street, passing over the heads of several passengers. Fugah then fled in the Honda Pilot, which was soon located a short distance away with the infant inside and unharmed.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency and the Upper Darby Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Doherty and Sandra Urban.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Alpha Omega Mayhue, 40, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston to 65 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $3,100 special assessment for stealing the personal information of multiple U.S. servicemembers and using it to inflict emotional distress, and related offenses.

The defendant was charged by indictment in January 2024, pleading guilty in July of last year to one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft, seven counts of misuse of a Social Security number, one count of aggravated identity theft, 21 counts of false statements, and one count of cyberstalking.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from February 2018 to March 2021, Mayhue, who served in the United States Army with his victims, stole and used their personally identifiable information to harass and stalk them over past grievances he had with them in the military.

Mayhue and unknown co-conspirators impersonated the victims and conducted numerous unauthorized transactions with banks, credit unions, the Federal Trade Commission, and other entities, including terminating their military and disability benefits, rerouting direct deposit payments, changing account information such as email addresses, physical addresses and phone numbers, and reporting their debit cards as stolen. In addition, Mayhue cyberstalked one victim, claiming he was surveilling her and subjecting her to sexual threats.

“Investigating individuals who hold positions of trust and misuse Department of Defense (DoD) information is a priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Silvestro, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates our commitment to work with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to protect our nation’s service members.”

“Today’s sentencing holds Mr. Mayhue accountable for his role in an account takeover scheme that targeted members of the U.S. Army by using their personally identifiable information to impersonate them and conduct unauthorized transactions with various entities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Scalzo of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Electronic Crimes Unit. “The FDIC OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate such schemes that harm consumers and threaten to undermine the safety and soundness of our nation’s banking system.”

The case was investigated by the DCIS, FDIC OIG, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Federal Trade Commission Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tyree Hatch, aka “Jamal Morris” and “Omar Reed,” 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer this week on three counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), three counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

In January of this year, the defendant was charged by indictment with those offenses, arising from three armed robberies of Northeast Philadelphia businesses in November 2024.

As detailed in court documents and admitted to by the defendant, on November 23, 2024, at approximately 1:12 p.m., he 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 PA 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.

Hatch is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3 and faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 24 years in prison.

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina Coker and Linwood C. Wright Jr.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Isiah Surzano-Glover, 22, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 168 months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston for two gunpoint carjackings.

In March 2024, the defendant was charged by indictment, and he pleaded guilty in November to two counts of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on January 2, 2024, at 7:30 p.m., he and accomplices lured victim P.M. to the 5400 block of Walker Street in Philadelphia by posing as a female named “Mercedes” on a dating app. When P.M. arrived, Surzano-Glover and the others, all masked, approached the victim, brandished guns, and threatened to shoot P.M. if he moved. The carjackers took P.M.’s keys, wallet, and phone, and drove away in his 2011 Ford Crown Victoria.

On January 3, 2024, at approximately 8:30 p.m., the defendant and several others, again using an app and the “Mercedes” ruse, lured R.E. to the 1700 block of Brill Street in Philadelphia. Upon R.E.’s arrival, the masked carjackers pointed handguns at him, pistol-whipped R.E. in the head with a gun, and took his keys and phone. They ordered him to run, then drove away in his 2006 Toyota Tacoma.

Approximately 30 minutes after R.E. was carjacked, Philadelphia police officers located R.E.’s Tacoma parked unattended at 5000 Valley Street, approximately half a mile from the scene of the crime. Other officers then observed what proved to be P.M.’s Crown Victoria, parked in an alley near the intersection of Pratt and Hawthorne streets, about a quarter of a mile from 5000 Valley Street, and placed the car under surveillance.

Around 10:15 p.m., P.M.’s Crown Victoria drove off and officers followed. The vehicle made its way to 5000 Valley Street, where a police car was alongside R.E.’s Tacoma, and then sped off, initiating a police pursuit. Multiple individuals eventually bailed from P.M.’s vehicle at the intersection of Worth Street and Margaret Street, and the defendant was arrested, following a foot pursuit.

In addition to the above crimes with which he was charged, Surzano-Glover admitted to participating in four other Philadelphia carjackings.

The case was investigated by the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Miller and Kwambina Coker.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ahmed Hassan, 71, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John F. Murphy to 64 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for defrauding his employer, the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”), of over $500,000. The defendant was also ordered to pay $565,058.70 in restitution, with $150,000 of that restitution due in 30 days, and a $2,200 special assessment.

Hassan was charged by indictment in April 2021. After a one-week trial in October of 2024, a federal jury convicted the defendant of 22 counts of wire fraud for misusing his VA position to steal from the agency.

As proven at trial, Hassan was a trusted supervisory engineer at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (“VA Medical Center”) in Philadelphia. In that position, Hassan was responsible for all mechanical and large HVAC systems at the Medical Center and was further charged with overseeing and implementing contracts in his area of responsibility.

From approximately 2013 through October 2017, Hassan schemed to defraud the VA by drafting and submitting for payment, false invoices of a shell company called HT Mechanical. But unbeknownst to Medical Center management, and in violation of Hassan’s duties to the VA, HT Mechanical was a fraudulent entity that Hassan had secretly set up with his then-paramour, Lynn Hanrahan[1] — a social worker with no knowledge of, or expertise in, HVAC or mechanical systems — in order to defraud the VA.

For years, the defendant made up fake work, drafted false invoices on HT Mechanical letterhead, submitted them for payment to the VA under the VA purchase card program, and lied to the VA, claiming that the work had been done, when the so-called jobs did not exist, and no work was performed. After the VA made payment to HT Mechanical based on the defendant’s lies, his paramour returned the payments to the defendant, either by check or by giving the defendant envelopes of cash.

“Fraud against the government hurts us all,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “It heightens the cost of public services and threatens their availability to deserving citizens. In this case, out of sheer greed, Ahmed Hassan thoroughly betrayed the veterans the VA exists to serve and stole from American taxpayers. Today’s sentence shows that criminals who cheat the U.S. government will pay for it, in the end.”

“This sentencing demonstrates that those involved in defrauding VA, particularly VA employees in positions of public trust, will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of VA’s programs and services.”

The case was investigated by Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran and Assistant United States Attorney Mary E. Crawley.
 

[1] Hanrahan was charged in a related scheme, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced on January 8, 2025.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that two men convicted of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations have been sentenced.

Hugo Henry Hernandez-Bonilla, 49, a Salvadoran national, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez to time served, approximately four months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Hernandez-Bonilla had been previously removed from the United States in September 2011.

Following his removal, the defendant illegally reentered the United States and was arrested in July 2024 by the Lancaster City (Pa.) Bureau of Police on a charge of driving under the influence.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned of Hernandez-Bonilla’s arrest and took him into custody in February of this year. In March, he was charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry, and he pleaded guilty in May.

Noel Velasquez-Basurto, 33, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond last week to time served, approximately four months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.

Velasquez-Basurto had previously been removed from the U.S. in October 2013, after being encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Nogales, Arizona. Later that month, after authorities again found him in Arizona, he was charged by criminal complaint with illegal entry, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 60 days’ imprisonment. Velasquez-Basurto was deported in January 2014, after completing his term.

In February of this year, ICE encountered the defendant in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, determined that he was in the country illegally, and took him into custody.

In April, Velasquez-Basurto was charged by indictment with illegal reentry, and he pleaded guilty this month.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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 are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda McCool, Brittany Jones, and Lindsey Mills.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Joseph Perkins, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston for robbing multiple city banks in a two-week span.

Perkins was charged by indictment in October 2024 with four counts of bank robbery and pleaded guilty in March. As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, he would present threatening demand notes to bank personnel in order to obtain and abscond with money.

The offenses committed by Perkins are as follows:

• the August 26, 2024, robbery of the Citizens Bank branch located inside the ACME Market at 2497 Aramingo Avenue, Philadelphia
• the August 29, 2024, robbery of the Citizens Bank branch located at 2101 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia
• the September 4, 2024, robbery of the TD Bank branch located at 6304 Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia
• the September 7, 2024, robbery of the TD Bank branch located at 2267 East Butler Street, Philadelphia

Perkins received cash in the first three robberies but fled the fourth empty-handed.

The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kwambina Coker.