Eastern District of Tennessee
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Eugenio Abraham Solis-Klarks Indicted for Fire Arms OffenseRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 6, 2025, a federal grand jury in Knoxville returned a one-count indictment against Eugenio Abraham Solis-Klarks, 31, of Guatemala, for possessing a firearm as an illegal alien. Solis-Klarks appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on September 24, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Debra C. Poplin and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in the indictment. He was ordered detained pending trial, which has been set for December 2, 2025, before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in United States District Court, at Knoxville, Tennessee.
The indictment charges Solis-Klarks with possessing a firearm as an illegal alien on January 12, 2025, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5).
If convicted, Solis-Klarks faces a term of imprisonment up to 15 years, a term of supervised release up to three years, and a fine up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
This indictment is the result of an investigation by the HSI, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook will represent the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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East Tennessee Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On September 18, 2025, Michael Robert Potter, 38, of Rocky Top, TN, was sentenced to 188 months by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, Potter will be on supervised release for 10 years and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Potter agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2).
According to filed court documents, from April 2023 to May 2023, investigators with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Investigations – Internet Crimes Against Children (HSI-ICAC) Task Force conducted online investigations into the trafficking of child pornography. This investigation led to the identification of an IP address utilized by Potter which contained numerous files depicting child pornography and child sexual abuse. In October 2023, a federal search warrant was executed which found Potter to be in possession of several pieces of computer equipment which contained over 20,000 images and over 500 videos depicting child pornography and child sexual abuse.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by HSI-ICAC and Knoxville Police Department. This investigation was led by HSI-ICAC Task Force Officer Thomas Evans.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click the tab "resources.”
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Last Defendant of Johnson City Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 262 Months for Methamphetamine and Cocaine Conspiracy, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE Tenn – On September 15, 2025, Spencer Allen Bradley, 33, of Atlanta, GA, was sentenced to over 21 years by the Honorable Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following his imprisonment, Bradley will be on supervised release for five years.
According to the filed plea agreement, Bradley agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)A), and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h).
According to court filed documents, in July of 2020, the Johnson City Police Department (JCPD), along with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), initiated an investigation into the distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Spencer Bradley, along with his brother, Camara Antonio Bradley, 25, Shannon Sherrell Bryant, 43, Montdail Maurice Brown, 41, Rachel Hunter Bowers, 33, Timothy Robert Malone, 37, Gabrielle Z’hane Greenlee, 28, Rashad Lorenzo Harrington, 27, James Earl Williams, 61, Dustin Matthew Wells, and Thomas James Dennis, Jr., 45, all of Johnson City, Tennessee, were involved in the distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine. Rachel Bowers and Spencer Bradley, who lived together, were digitally transferring large amounts of money into and from shared financial accounts to pay for and receive money from the drug sales, with suspicious transactions totaling $403,455. Spencer Bradley and Hunter Bowers used a business to launder the illegal monies received in the distribution of narcotics.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Spencer Bradley and Shannon Bryant used the residence of James Williams as a base of operations for the drug trafficking organization. Spencer Bradley and Bryant would bring or have brought into the Johnson City area large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. Using cooperators and confidential informants, law enforcement made several controlled purchases of narcotics from Spencer Bradley, his brother Camara Bradley, and James Williams. The FBI, using wire intercepts on Spencer Bradley’s phone, identified Rashad Harrington, James Williams, and Gabrielle Greenlee as persons who worked for Spencer Bradley in the distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine. In September of 2023, Greenlee was stopped in Loudon County, TN, and found to be in possession of 4 pounds of methamphetamine intended for distribution.
Judge Greer previously sentenced the other members of the drug trafficking organization as follows:
- Montdail Brown received a sentence of 228 months imprisonment for his involvement in the drug conspiracy, as well as his possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A).
- Shannon Bryan received a sentence of 170 months imprisonment for his involvement in the drug conspiracy.
- Gabrielle Greenlee received a sentence of 60 months for her involvement in the drug conspiracy.
- Camara Bradley received a sentence of 60 months imprisonment for her involvement in the drug conspiracy.
- Rachel Bowers received a sentence of 36 months imprisonment for her involvement in the drug conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
- Timothy Malone received a sentence of 168 months imprisonment for his involvement in the drug conspiracy.
- Thomas Dennis, Jr., received a sentence of 167 months imprisonment for his involvement in the drug conspiracy.
- Dustin Wells received a sentence of 66 months imprisonment for his involvement in the drug conspiracy.
- James Williams received a sentence of 80 months imprisonment for his involvement in the drug conspiracy.
- Rashad Harrington received a sentence of 78 months term of imprisonment for his involvement in the drug conspiracy.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by JCPD, TBI, DEA, FBI, and HSI. This investigation was led by DEA Special Agent Cullen Conerly and TBI Special Agent and FBI Task Force Officer, Thomas Garrison.
Assistant United States Attorney B. Todd Martin and Special Assistant United States Attorney AnCharlene Davis represented the United States.
This case is part of the Take Back America Task Force, led by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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.
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Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employment Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to tax crimes and wire fraud for his role in a scheme to claim fraudulent refunds based on false COVID-19 employment tax credits.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Edward Zanes, of Kingsport, Tennessee, conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit and paid sick and family leave credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Zanes and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of claiming the bogus credits. Zanes aided in filing numerous false tax returns for those phony businesses and directed the tax returns to be mailed to addresses he and co-conspirators controlled.
In total, Zane and his co-conspirators filed false tax returns that claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds and received over $1.8 million from the IRS.
Zanes is set to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2026. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud, and a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
Chattanooga Man Sentenced to 24 Months' Imprisonment for Threatening to Kill Member of CongressRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On September 10, 2025, Garry Lebron Hayes, 45, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by the Honorable Curtis L. Collier, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for one year.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Hayes agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with knowingly and willfully transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c).
According to filed court documents, in July of 2024, Hayes called the district office of a Member of Congress and left the following voicemail: “Chattanooga. I’m in Chattanooga. Yeah, you better ask your kids to f***ing finally kiss your a**—‘cause I’m gonna beat your a** b**ch. I’m gonna kill your a**. I’m gonna kill you b**ch.” Additional evidence of Hayes’s relevant conduct introduced at the sentencing hearing revealed that, in January of 2024, Hayes, while outside the state of Tennessee, called the office of a different Member of Congress, which was not located in the state of Tennessee, and left that Member a voicemail, identifying the Member by name and stating: “I will slice your throat, mother f***er.”
The Court-determined applicable sentencing guidelines range was 18-24 months. The United States advocated for a top of the guidelines sentence of 24 months. In imposing a 24-month sentence, the Court stressed that society must be protected from Hayes, and others like him, who threaten to maim, and murder elected officials with whom they disagree.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge, Joseph Carrico, Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney David P. Lewen, Jr. represented the United States.
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Hoffmann Quality Tools USA Inc. Agrees to Pay $1.4M Following Improper Receipt of PPP LoanRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Hoffmann Quality Tools USA Inc. (“Hoffmann”) has paid $1,400,027.39 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by applying for, receiving, and obtaining forgiveness of a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for which it was not eligible.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, to provide relief to small businesses experiencing economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 27, 2020, the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (“Economic Aid Act”) was signed into law. The Economic Aid Act authorized the Small Business Administration to guarantee second-draw PPP loans. To be eligible for second-draw PPP loans, borrowers were required to have no more than 300 employees, among other requirements. On May 21, 2020, an Interim Final Rule was published that clarified that affiliated foreign employees were to be included when a borrower calculated their total number of employees for purposes of determining PPP loan eligibility.
The United States contends that Hoffmann failed to include employees employed by foreign entities affiliated with Hoffmann through common ownership when it applied for a second-draw PPP loan and forgiveness thereof. Had Hoffmann included the employees of the foreign entities affiliated with Hoffmann, Hoffmann would have exceeded the 300-employee size limitation applicable to second-draw PPP loans and would not have been eligible to receive the second-draw PPP loan.
This Settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and receive a share of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Blockquote, Inc. v. Hoffmann Quality Tools USA Inc., No. 3:24-cv-297 (E.D. Tenn.).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Cunningham and Alexa Ortiz Hadley represented the United States, with assistance from the Small Business Administration.
“The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) stood as vital resource for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Our office will continue to work with SBA and other federal partners to recover from those who take advantage of vital resources at the expense of the public.”
SBA’s General Counsel, Wendell Davis, stated, “This recovery is a direct result of the concerted efforts of SBA and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee to investigate claims of fraud in SBA’s COVID-relief programs and to recover funds lost through false statements from individuals and companies that engage in such activities.”
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Sevierville Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 27, 2025, Lucas Ray Hall, 34, of Sevierville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 360 months by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, Hall will be on supervised release for 15 years and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Hall agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e).
According to filed court documents, in February of 2024, a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) containing child pornography (CP) images and an imminent threat to a child was sent to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) and the Sevierville Police Department (SPD). Based on the NCMEC information, law enforcement was able to determine the computer used to distribute the CP images came back to the home where the defendant resided. Law enforcement determined the minor victim in the CP images was a seven-year-old related to the defendant.
Hall admitted to producing the CP images of the minor victim using his phone at his home. The defendant further admitted he used the CP images to go onto chat forums and trade for other CP images within the group forum.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by SPD, SCSO, Homeland Security Investigations Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Knoxville Police Department. This investigation was led by SCSO Detective Jerry Vandergriff.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click the tab "resources.”
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George Herman Ruth Indicted for Mail Fraud and Using Names of Hundreds of Deceased and Retired Professional Baseball PlayersRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On August 12, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a ninety-one-count indictment against George Herman Ruth, 69, of Morristown, for mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, fraudulent use of Social Security numbers, money laundering, making false statements to his supervising probation officer, and possessing firearms after having previously been convicted of felonies. Ruth made his initial appearance on August 21, 2025, before the Honorable Cynthia R. Wyrick, United States Magistrate Judge, and he was detained pending further court proceedings. A trial date has been set for January 27, 2026, before the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court at Greeneville.
According to the filed indictment, beginning in January 2023 and continuing until July 10, 2025, Ruth devised and implemented an elaborate, nationwide scheme to submit hundreds of fraudulent claim forms to class action administrators around the country. When doing so, Ruth located pending class action suits and fraudulently used the names of hundreds of deceased or retired professional baseball players and the Social Security numbers of numerous unwitting victims. Ruth also opened post office boxes around the Eastern District of Tennessee to facilitate the scheme and used a sham business, El Mundo Marketing LLC, to obtain an account through which he laundered the proceeds. The indictment alleges that Ruth obtained or attempted to obtain more than $550,000 through the scheme.
If convicted, Ruth faces a term of imprisonment up to 20 years plus a mandatory, consecutive two-year sentence, a term of supervised release up to three years, and a fine up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III will represent the United States in this prosecution.
This indictment is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the Morristown Police Department.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Gallatin Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 14, 2025, Andrew John Paolini, 64, of Gallatin, Tennessee, was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, he will be on lifetime supervised release, and he will be required to register with state sex offender registries and to comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Paolini agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of Attempted Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Statutory Rape as defined in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 39-13-506(c), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b).
According to court filed documents, in late October 2024, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents began an undercover investigation online in public chat areas known to be trafficked by purveyors of child sexual abuse material. This investigation led to communications with an online user, later identified as Paolini, attempting to entice who he believed to be a thirteen (13) year old girl for sex. Federal agents arrested Paolini in November of 2024, after Paolini arrived at an arranged meeting location with whom he believed to be his underaged victim.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI made the announcement.The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the FBI, led by Special Agent Mike Carter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Justice Department Charges Five Senior Leaders of the United Cartels, a Designated Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
Today the Justice Department announced criminal charges against five high-ranking members of the United Cartels. Those charged are Juan Jose Farias Alvarez (“El Abuelo); Alfonso Fernandez Magallon (“Poncho”); Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez (“Wicho / R5”); Edgar Orozco Cabadas (“El Kamoni”); and Nicolas Sierra Santana (“El Gordo”).
“Today’s charges are designed to dismantle the United Cartels and bring their leaders to justice for unleashing death and destruction on American citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Working closely with our partners throughout President Trump’s Administration, we will continue our historic effort to destroy foreign terror organizations and prosecute terrorists wherever they may hide.”
“Today’s sanctions action draws further attention to the diverse, insidious ways the cartels engage in violent activities and exploit otherwise legitimate commerce,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury, alongside our partners in U.S. law enforcement, will continue to target every effort by the cartels to generate revenue for their violent, criminal schemes.”
“Today’s announcement marks a significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to totally eliminate the United Cartels and bring its leaders to justice,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This investigation began in a small town in Middle America and led to clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in Michoacán, Mexico. It involved extraordinary policework by our partners, some of whom came under fire in a brazen shootout – underscoring the dangers law enforcement faces every day. This case demonstrates our relentless pursuit of cartel leaders who flood our communities with illegal drugs and terrorize citizens on both sides of the border with violence.”
“Today, the Department of State is continuing to fulfill one of President Trump’s first promises when he took office — to stop the brutal criminals who are trafficking deadly drugs into our country,” said Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We are announcing reward offers totaling up to $26 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of Mexican narcotics traffickers associated with Cárteles Unidos, a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”
“Today’s charges reflect the far-reaching impact of transnational criminal networks and the decisive action U.S. law enforcement is taking to dismantle them,” said Acting Executive Associate Director Derek W. Gordon for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. “The United Cartels are responsible for flooding our communities with dangerous narcotics and profiting through violence, extortion, and corruption. ICE HSI, in close coordination with domestic and international partners, led a years-long investigation that traced the cartel’s footprint from clandestine labs in Michoacán to major U.S. distribution hubs. This case underscores our commitment to holding cartel leaders accountable, wherever they operate and safeguarding public safety on both sides of the border.”
“The United Cartels has flooded every corner of our country with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “The indictments announced today exemplify the great work that can be achieved when federal, state, and local forces partner together to confront our greatest law enforcement challenges. What started out as an ordinary drug case in the Eastern District of Tennessee grew into a sprawling multinational investigation that will take down a transnational criminal organization precisely because law enforcement at all levels partnered together enthusiastically with mission-first single-mindedness. We are particularly grateful for our close partnerships with HSI Knoxville, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the 9th Judicial Task Force, and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, without which these results would have been impossible.”
According to court documents, the United Cartels is a transnational criminal and drug trafficking organization that controls large areas of Michoacán, Mexico. Acting as an umbrella organization, it unites several Michoacán-based cartels to acquire, manufacture, and distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine for smuggling into the United States. Profits from U.S. drug sales are allegedly used to acquire heavy weaponry, hire mercenaries, bribe local officials, and fund lavish lifestyles for cartel leaders.
The United Cartels is among the most prolific methamphetamine producers capable of manufacturing multiple tons every month. Its distribution network spans the United States, with hubs in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City (Mo.), Sacramento, California, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, and extends to Europe, Australia, and other regions. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State designated the United Cartels (Cárteles Unidos), as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, as amended.
Court filings allege that Farias Alvarez serves as the top leader of the United Cartels, directing the importation of cocaine from Colombia via air and maritime routes, personally overseeing large shipments to the United States, and imposing a tax on methamphetamine and fentanyl producers operating in his territory.
Los Reyes Cartel, allegedly led by Fernandez Magallon, is a Michoacán-based cartel that currently operates under the United Cartels umbrella. As alleged, Los Viagras Cartel, led by Sierra Santana, is another Michoacán-based cartel that until recently operated under the United Cartels umbrella. Orozco Cabadas and Barragan Chavez allegedly each lead armed factions of the United Cartels that enforce cartel control using assault weapons, improvised explosive devices, armed drones, armored vehicles, and foreign mercenaries.
The five defendants allegedly participated in decades-long conspiracies to manufacture and distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, to be unlawfully imported into the United States. In addition, Farias Alvarez, Fernandez Magallon and Barragan Chavez are alleged to have carried, brandished, or discharged firearms, including semi-automatic weapons, machine guns, and destructive devices during and in relation to the alleged drug trafficking crimes charged in their indictments. If convicted, all five defendants face maximum penalties of life in prison.
The five defendants are still fugitives. The U. S. Department of State announced today that it is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Farias Alvarez’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Fernandez Magallon’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Sierra Santana’s arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Barragan Chavez’s arrest and/or conviction; and a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Orozco Cabadas’s arrest and/or conviction. Also today, the U. S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced economic sanctions against these five defendants, and the United Cartels (Cárteles Unidos) and Los Viagras as entities.
Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Roger Polack of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Quencer for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the cases.
This case was the result of an investigation led by HSI-Knoxville within the Region 18 Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF). HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. The objective of the HSTFs is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) throughout the United States, dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks, end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children, and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States. Valuable assistance in this matter was provided by HSI Mexico City, HSI Denver, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fresno Field Division, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Tennessee 9th Judicial Drug Task Force. Additional assistance was provided by HSI Atlanta, HSI Laredo, HSI Outer Banks, HSI Houston, HSI San Diego, HSI Kansas City, DEA Bogota, HSI Bogota, HSI Las Vegas, HSI The Hague, FBI Kansas City, FBI St. Louis, FBI Sacramento, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and DEA Los Angeles. U. S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Western District of Missouri, the District of Colorado, the Eastern District of California, and the Northern District of Georgia also provided significant assistance in the investigation as part of the HSTFs and DOJ’s Operation Take Back America.
*This press release was updated to include additional information about regarding HSTF and partners
Knoxville Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 12, 2025, Nathan Hart, 24, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 70 months in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. He was also ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution to his victims. Following his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for 20 years and will be required to register with the state sex offender registry and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Hart agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with, one count of possession of and access with intent to view child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B).
According to filed court documents, in May of 2023, after receiving tips of child pornography being distributed on the internet by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, investigators determined that the computer and internet service used belonged to Nathan Hart at his residential address. Investigators conducted a search of Hart’s residence and electronics, finding multiples files of child pornography, including at least twenty-four videos containing sexually explicit material. One video was over an hour long. A search of Hart’s electronics revealed numerous saved images of child pornography depicting known and unknown victims throughout the world that Hart obtained from online sources.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge, Rana Saoud, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Knoxville Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, HSI, and Knox County Sheriff's office. The investigation was led by HSI Task Force Officer Thomas Evans.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Nathan Hunter Whitaker Sentenced to over 24 Years for Fentanyl Distribution Related to an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, TENN. – Today, Nathan Hunter Whitaker, 27, of Bristol, Tennessee, was sentenced to 292 months by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following his incarceration, he will be on supervised release for a term of three years.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Nathan Hunter Whitaker agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of distributing a quantity of N-phenyl-N-[1-(2- phenylethy1)-4-piperidinyl] propanamide (Fentanyl), which resulted in the death of another person in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C).
According to the filed plea agreement, in July of 2020, local, state, and federal law enforcement began an investigation into the distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Tennessee. During the investigation, law enforcement learned of an overdose death that occurred in early February of 2023, in Sullivan County, Tennessee, which was attributed to fentanyl toxicity. Days after the victim’s death, Whitaker made several, controlled sales of fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg pills to a confidential informant.
On April 1, 2024, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force (2nd DTF), as well as deputies of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office located Whitaker, along with others, at a residence in Johnson City, TN. When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop to serve an arrest warrant on Whitaker, he fled in a vehicle but eventually returned to the residence. After he returned, law enforcement made entry into the residence, where they located Whitaker in possession of a significant quantity of fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg pills and $13,754 in cash, as well as more than 130 firearms, some of which were stolen, including two silencers and a short-barreled rifle. One of the stolen firearms was from the Tennessee Valley Authority Police. During an interview, Whitaker admitted that he provided fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg pills to the victim that caused their death.
“Fentanyl-related deaths across the district, state, and our nation are far too common,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III. “The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, will use all available resources to investigate and prosecute those who traffic in fentanyl and bring them to justice.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration is committed to working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to bring to justice criminals who willfully distribute dangerous drugs within eastern Tennessee and throughout the country. Today’s sentence highlights the serious risks fentanyl poses to our communities, and we are proud of the results achieved because of this collaboration,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott.
“Arresting and prosecuting criminals like Nathan Whitaker, who prey upon and poison their communities for profit and fund cartels and international criminal organizations, is a top priority for our agency.” said Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “This sentence sends a clear message that HSI and our law enforcement partners in Tennessee are dedicated to preventing the illicit importation, sale and distribution of fentanyl while bringing those that perpetrate this deadly crime to justice.”
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the DEA, HSI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the 2nd DTF, and Johnson City Police Department (JCPD).
This investigation was led by DEA Special Agent Cullen Conerly, HSI Special Agent John Bulla, and TBI Special Agent Thomas Garrison, who is also an FBI Task Force Officer.
Assistant United States Attorney B. Todd Martin represented the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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Three Ohio Residents Arrested for Road Rage Shooting in Great Smoky Mountain National ParkRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Yosiah Awomolo, 20, Alexander Legeza, 21, and Kelly White, 28, all Ohio residents, with were charged in a federal criminal complaint today on charges involving a road rage shooting within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). They had their initial appearance today in the United States District Court in Knoxville, before the Honorable Debra C. Poplin, United States Magistrate Judge.
The criminal complaint filed with the court alleges that on July 31, 2025, law enforcement officers from GSMNP and the Gatlinburg Police Department responded to a road rage incident involving the discharge of a firearm and threatening of a person with a deadly weapon on U.S. 441 South (The Spur). Law enforcement determined that Yosiah Awomolo, the driver of a 2022 gray Buick Envision, threatened the driver of a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a handgun and fired one round into the pickup truck. The round lodged in the driver’s lunchbox that was on the front passenger seat. During the investigation, law enforcement recovered the shell casing in the roadway on U.S. 441 South in the same area of the reported shooting. Alexander Legeza and Kelly White were passengers in the Buick Envision.
The complaint further alleges that the Pigeon Forge Police Department located the suspect vehicle at the Park Tower Inn in Pigeon Forge, TN. Officers arrested all three suspects and seized two firearms from inside the suspects’ hotel room. The criminal complaint charges Awomolo with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm, assault with a deadly weapon, reckless endangerment, and communicating a threat to another person. Legeza is charged with felon in possession of a firearm and misprison of a felony. White is charged with misprison of a felony.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
This prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation by the National Park Service, Gatlinburg Police Department, and Pigeon Forge Police Department.
Members of the public are reminded that these are only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Two Jonesborough Women and A Bristol, Virginia Man Sentenced for VA Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On July 23, 2025, the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville sentenced Monika D. Schorer, 59, of Jonesborough, TN, and Teresa D. Schorer, 59, of Jonesborough, TN, each to a term of imprisonment of eight months and a $10,000 fine. Following their terms of imprisonment, each will be required to serve a term of supervised release of three years.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, each defendant pled guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1346, and 1349.
According to Court records, the defendants (who are twin sisters) were employees of the VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee. Each took cash bribes from surgical sales representatives, Eric S. Smith (“Smith”) and Landon Chester (“Chester”) that enabled Smith and Chester to overbill the VA Medical Center, often for unnecessary medical items. Smith and Chester previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud and bribery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
According to Court records, the bribes took the form of cash-stuffed envelopes and a promised ownership interest upon retirement in a Virginia limited liability company, Four Corners Medical Supply and Equipment LLC (“Four Corners”). Four Corners had become a VA vendor with the cooperation of Teresa Schorer. In exchange for the bribes, the Schorers consciously permitted a substantial fraud against the VA; used a VA computer to set up Four Corners in the government’s payment system; hid and concealed their arrangement by making false disclosures on their Office of Government Ethics Forms 450; alerted Smith and Chester when their VA supervisor began asking questions; and provided other assistance to Smith and Chester not generally available to VA vendors. Monika Schorer also issued a letter purportedly from the VA Medical Center to try to thwart the investigation.
As part of their sentence, the Court also ordered each defendant to make individual restitution to the VA in the amount of $213,154.50.
The sentences follow Smith’s sentencing on July 16, 2023. Judge Corker sentenced Smith to serve a year and a day in the Bureau of Prisons to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Smith paid court-ordered restitution in the amount of $120,433.45 prior to sentencing. In addition to restitution, Smith and Chester also agreed to forfeit the sum of $185,422.10 that was seized by the United States as part of the investigation.
Chester will be the final participant to be sentenced, and his sentencing hearing is set for August 5, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
Between agreed restitution in all participants’ plea agreements and forfeited bank accounts, the United States will recover $852,598.
“Our nation has a solemn obligation to care for our veterans,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “This prosecution shows that our office and our federal partners will hold those accountable who steal taxpayer money that has been allocated to fulfill this sacred duty. Taking bribes by any government employee is a serious offense, and this case serves as a warning to any government employee who thinks they can profit from their position of public trust and any private person who thinks they can use bribes to steal from taxpayers.”
“Using official government positions to profit from bribes is an egregious crime and erodes public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Nate Landkammer with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “These sentencings send a clear message that the VA OIG will diligently investigate those who misuse their positions to commit fraud and divert resources from deserving veterans.”
“The Schorers were entrusted to serve the interests of veterans and the American people, not their own,” said Special Agent in Charge Elisa Pellegrini of the General Services Administration (GSA) Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Mid-Atlantic Division. “We will remain relentless in the pursuit of those who seek to exploit GSA purchase cards and other government programs for personal gain.”
“Monika and Teresa Schorer took bribes and participated in a fraud that resulted in overcharges to the VA,” said Special Agent-In-Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, IRS-CI Charlotte Field Office. “This is not a victimless crime. When suppliers overcharge the VA for their products and services, the men and women who bravely served this country are affected because less money is available for their healthcare, benefits, and support programs. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents, many who are veterans, will continue diligently investigating and holding accountable those who believe defrauding the Veterans Administration is the way to satisfy their financial greed.”
The charges were the result of a long-term investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, the General Services Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
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Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employee Retention Credit Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, and money laundering, for his role in a scheme to claim refunds based on false COVID-19 employment tax credits.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Ryan Glidewell conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking refunds based on the Employee Retention Credit and paid Sick and Family Leave Credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of falsely claiming the credits. Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to addresses he and co-conspirators controlled.
In total, the false returns claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds, of which the IRS paid $1.8 million.
Glidewell is set to be sentenced on Nov. 12. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for money laundering, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – A Tennessee man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, and money laundering, for his role in a scheme to claim refunds based on false COVID-19 employment tax credits.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Ryan Glidewell conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking refunds based on the Employee Retention Credit and paid Sick and Family Leave Credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of falsely claiming the credits. Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to addresses he and co-conspirators controlled.
In total, the false returns claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds, of which the IRS paid $1.8 million.
Glidewell is set to be sentenced on Nov. 12, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for money laundering, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
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Rutledge, Tennessee Man Sentenced to over 24 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On July 1, 2025, Patrick E. McAneny Jr, 28, of Rutledge, Tennessee, was sentenced to 292 months imprisonment by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Upon his release from prison, McAneny will be on supervised release for 20 years. He will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, McAneny plead guilty to count one of an indictment charging him with use of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a).
According to the written plea agreement filed with the court, McAneny began an online relationship with a 12-year-old girl. On February 4, 2024, McAneny traveled from his home in Grainger County, Tennessee to pick up the minor from her home in Hamblen County, Tennessee. She did not have permission to leave her home. Her family reported her missing the same day. From February 4 to February 6, 2024, while at McAneny’s home he took photos, and video recorded the minor and himself engaged in sexual acts. McAneny sent a video of the minor victim engaged in sexual acts with him to a third party online. The person contacted law enforcement upon receipt of the video. Based on the call law enforcement was able to locate the 12-year-old girl at McAneny’s home.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico, of the FBI Nashville Field Office, made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Hamblen and Grainger County Sheriff's Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan L. Gomez represented the United States at the sentencing.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Conspiring to Murder Law Enforcement and Attack FBI OfficeRead the Press Release
Edward Kelley, 36, of Maryville, Tennessee, was sentenced to life in prison today in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
On Nov. 20, 2024, following a three-day jury trial, Kelley was convicted of conspiracy to murder federal employees; solicitation to commit a crime of violence; and influencing a federal official by threat.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kelley developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including agents, officers, and employees of the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Maryville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Clinton Police Department. The evidence showed that Kelley developed a “kill list” of law enforcement and distributed the list – along with videos containing images of his targets – to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission.”
A cooperating defendant, who previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.
At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the defendant calling for the development of a “course of action” related to his plan. In one such recording, the defendant gave the instructions to, among other things, “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. Kelley was recorded stating, “You don’t have time to train or coordinate, but every hit has to hurt,” and “Every hit has to hurt.”
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Tanya Senanayake and Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Conspiring to Murder Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Officers and EmployeesRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On July 2, 2025, Edward Kelley, 36, of Maryville, Tennessee, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. The Court’s sentence was recommended by the applicable United States Sentencing Guidelines based on the circumstances surrounding Kelley’s crimes.
On November 20, 2024, following a three-day trial in United States District Court, a jury convicted Edward Kelley of Conspiracy to Murder Federal Employees, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1117; Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 373; and Influencing a Federal Official by Threat, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 115(a)(1)(B).
The evidence presented at trial established that Kelley developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including agents, officers, and employees of the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Maryville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Clinton Police Department. The proof showed that Kelley developed a “kill list” of law enforcement and distributed the list – along with videos containing images of his targets – to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission.”
A cooperating defendant, who previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.
At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the defendant calling for the development of a “course of action” related to his plan. In one such recording, the defendant gave the instructions to, among other things, “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. Kelley was recorded stating, “You don’t have time to train or coordinate, but every hit has to hurt.” “Every hit has to hurt.”
Assistant Attorney General John. A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson of the Eastern District of Tennessee prosecuted the case with the assistance of Trial Attorneys Tanya Senanayake and Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The case was investigated by the Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. It was led by the FBI and involved the assistance of FBI offices from across the country.
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Otis Elevator Company Agrees to Pay More Than $600,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegation Related to Invoices for Elevator MaintenanceRead the Press Release
Otis Worldwide Corporation, an international elevator services firm headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, which is branded and doing business as Otis Elevator Company (Otis), has agreed to settle allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) related to invoices for preventive maintenance services submitted to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that were not rendered pursuant to the terms of a Contract. Under the settlement, Otis will pay the United States $616,987.02.
“A contractor, like Otis, has an obligation to submit invoices and seek reimbursement solely for work and services that have been performed as claimed,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “This settlement with Otis demonstrates that the United States Attorney’s Office and federal partners like TVA’s Office of the Inspector General are using all tools available to address fraud, waste, and abuse and protect public funds.”
“The TVA Office of the Inspector General is committed to identifying and investigating instances where vendors fail to fulfill contractual obligations as well as false claims and overpayments that negatively impact ratepayers throughout the Tennessee Valley. We would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their dedicated support of such efforts,” said Assistant Inspector General, Investigations D. Eric Beals of the Tennessee Valley Authority Office of Inspector General.
The United States’ investigation focused on an August 2017 Contract between Otis and TVA. The United States contended that the Contract required Otis to provide turnkey modernization and specified monthly preventative maintenance services related to certain elevators in the TVA Knoxville Office Complex. The United States maintained that it has certain civil claims against Otis arising from its performance of the Contract. Specifically, the United States contended that Otis submitted false claims for payment to TVA for preventive maintenance services that were not rendered.
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 Tennessee and the TVA Office of the Inspector General – Office of Investigations (TVA-OIG).
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating waste, fraud, and abuse impacting federal agencies. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, and mismanagement of TVA resources can be reported to TVA-OIG at 1-855-882-8585 or www.oigempowerline.com
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan G. McGonigal and Alexa Ortiz Hadley for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Dan Roark, Former Police Officer, Sentenced for Exploitation of a Child and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On June 5, 2025, Dan Roark, 48, currently of Knoxville Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Roark agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with, one count of exploitation of a child in violation of 18 U.S.C.§ 2251(a); and one count of receipt of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2). Roark was sentenced to 300 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Roark will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
In early October 2023, Scott County Virginia Sheriff’s Department (SCVSD) received an anonymous tip that a juvenile female (JV) was sending child pornography through the internet to other potential internet users. A forensic examination of a cellphone belonging to JV’s mother revealed child pornography images of JV as well as text messages between JV’s mother and Roark while he was employed with the Knoxville Police Department. In the text message communications, Roark demanded that JV’s mother provide child pornography depicting JV. JV’s mother complied by sending child pornography images and videos depicting JV to Roark.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the SCVSD, 9th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office (9th JDAGO), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force. This investigation was led by Detective Daniel Ross of SCVSD, HSI Task Force Officer Cortney Dugger, and Investigator Chanel Finnell of the 9th JDAGO.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Agendia, Inc., Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center, PLLC, and Knoxville Dermatopathology Laboratory, LLC Agree to Settle False Claims Act Allegations for More Than $3,750,000Read the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Agendia, Inc., a global molecular diagnostics company that offers genomic testing designed to profile certain types of breast cancer, including a lab test called MammaPrint, agreed to settle allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) that the company submitted deceptive claims for reimbursement for MammaPrint genomic tests to government health care benefit programs. Under the terms of the settlement, Agendia will pay at least $3,250,000 and potentially additional sums if the privately held Company is sold. In separate settlements, Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center (KCBC) and Knoxville Dermatopathology Laboratory (KDL) agreed to resolve related FCA allegations for $322,500 and $207,500, respectively.
According to filed documents, it was alleged that from August 1, 2019, through September 30, 2022, Agendia knowingly submitted false claims for MammaPrint testing to Medicare, Medicaid, and other government payors. The United States contended that the MammaPrint claims were false because Agendia caused physicians and providers (referring providers) to order MammaPrint testing that was not reasonable or medically necessary through standing or automatic orders. The government also maintained that certain claims submitted by Agendia were deceptive because they were tainted by the payment of illegal remuneration to referring providers who ordered the tests - including extravagant dinners, excessive or improper honoraria, gift cards, and payments per referral or monthly flat rate payment arrangements. The settlements also resolve allegations that KCBC and KDL, working together, knowingly participated in Agendia’s scheme to obtain referrals for MammaPrint that were not reasonable and necessary and/or were induced by illegal compensation provided by Agendia.
“The Medicare and Medicaid programs deliver coverage for vital medical and diagnostic testing to beneficiaries and recipients,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “False claims submitted to these programs for costly genomic testing that was not reasonable and medically necessary and inducing referrals through improper payments made to referring providers are not victimless offenses. The settlement in this case demonstrates that the United States Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, are using all tools available to redress fraud and abuse and preserve scarce financial resources for legitimate and necessary medical care.”
"Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute related to laboratory testing waste valuable federal health care program funds and undermine the integrity of medical decision-making," said Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "Participants in federal health care programs must comply with laws designed to protect program funds and ensure patients receive appropriate, high-quality care."
“Wrongful billing for unnecessary medical testing undermines the integrity of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, generating costs for the government but no benefit to patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek M. Holt of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. “We applaud the tireless work of our investigative staff and partners at the Department of Justice, holding accountable those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the taxpayers.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by two relators, Dr. Raymond Brig and Mr. Lance Albertson, in two separate cases. Under the whistleblower provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and may receive a portion of any recovery. The two qui tam cases are captioned U.S. ex rel. Raymond Brig, M.D. v. Agendia, Inc. et al., Case No. 3:21-CV-286 (E.D. Tenn.) and U.S. ex rel. Lance Albertson v. Agendia, Inc., Case No. 3:23-CV-289 (E.D. Tenn.). The relators will receive $296,725 of the proceeds from the settlement and may eventually receive as much as $921,725.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of Tennessee, with assistance from OPM-OIG, HHS-OIG, and the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Office of the Inspector General (TVA-OIG).
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan G. McGonigal and Alexa Ortiz Hadley for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to over 15 Years for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On May 15, 2025, Mario Delaine, 39, of Memphis, was sentenced to 188 months in prison by the Honorable Charles E. Atchley, Jr, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following imprisonment, Delaine will be on supervised release for five years.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Delaine agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm as a felon, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1). Because Delaine had three previous convictions for violent felonies committed on occasions different from one another, he was subject to enhanced penalties under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which requires a mandatory minimum 15 years imprisonment.
According to filed court documents, in November 2022, Chattanooga Police Department Officers responded to reports of gunfire coming from a third-floor room of the Motel 6 on Williams Street. Upon arrival, officers heard and observed gunshots being actively fired out of a third-floor window. Officers entered the hotel, located the room, and ordered the occupant(s) to exit. As officers took cover, an additional gunshot was fired through the door into the hallway. Officers maintained their position and Delaine eventually exited the room and surrendered. Officers located a Glock 9-millimeter pistol, multiple spent 9-millimeter cartridge cases, and bullet holes in the exterior window and interior door.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Chattanooga Field Office and the Chattanooga Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin T. Brown and Luke McLaurin represented the United States.
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 Neighborhood (PSN). https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline
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Pat Allen Potter Sentenced to 25 Years for Exploitation of A Child and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On May 8, 2025, Pat Allen Potter, 48, currently of Andersonville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 300 months imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following Potter’s imprisonment, he will be on a lifetime supervised release and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Potter agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with, one count of exploitation of a child in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a); and one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252A(a)(5)(B) and 2252A(b)(2).
According to court filed documents, in March of 2024, Knoxville Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children and Homeland Security Investigations began an investigation after receiving a tip that Potter was uploading and storing child pornography (CP) onto a website. During the investigation, a ten -year-old victim was identified who was known to Potter. On March 19, 2024, law enforcement obtained and executed arrest and search warrants for Potter and electronics located at his residence. Forensic examinations were conducted which revealed Potter possessed 20 videos and 38 images of CP. Evidence further revealed that Potter produced CP of the 10-year-old victim and groomed the victim to make CP videos of herself for Potter.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Knoxville Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children (KPD-ICAC) and HSI. The investigation was headed by Detective Johnny Williams, HSI-ICAC task force officer. Also assisting in the prosecution were the Clinton Police Department and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Tennessee Man Indicted on Arson and Explosive Charges for Setting Fire to Nonprofit OrganizationRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Knoxville, Tennessee returned an indictment on May 7, charging Regan Darby Prater, 27, with arson for firebombing the Highlander Center, a nonprofit research and education center in New Market, Tennessee; and with carrying an explosive device during the commission of the arson. Prater appeared in court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill E. McCook and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in the indictment. He was held pending trial, which has been set for July 15 in United States District Court, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
According to court documents, on March 29, 2019, Prater used an explosive to firebomb the Highlander Center’s administrative building, resulting in a fire that consumed the entire structure. Court documents also allege that Prater was inspired by the March 15, 2019, mass shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, and left a symbol of the Iron Guard, a World War II-era Romanian Nazi organization, spraypainted in the Highlander Center’s parking lot. The same symbol appeared on the Christchurch gunman’s rifle as he livestreamed his attacks.
If convicted, Prater faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison on the arson charge, and an additional ten years in prison on the explosive charge.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Knoxville Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Anne-Marie Svolto of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Kyle Boynton and Katherine McCallister of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. On Saturday, April 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Location information is available from the DEA, along with items that cannot be accepted. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This April's event is DEA's 28th nationwide event since its inception 15 years ago. Last spring, Americans turned in 629,953 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 4,644 sites operated by the DEA and 4,425 from its state and local law enforcement partners.
The DEA will now accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop-off locations during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. It is important to note that DEA cannot accept devices containing lithium-ion batteries. If batteries cannot be removed prior to drop-off, DEA encourages individuals to consult with stores that recycle lithium-ion batteries. Concerns have been raised across the United States over illnesses and deaths caused by vaping and the high youth vaping initiation rates. To support a healthy lifestyle and energetic population, especially among America’s youth, DEA is committed to doing all it can to help safely dispose of vaping devices and substances.
The DEA’s “Take Back” day and “Get Smart About Drugs” initiatives address the vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses because of these drugs. Synthetic opioids, such as illicit fentanyl, are the primary driver of the increase in overdose deaths. For information on DEA’s “Take Back” in Spanish, click here, or for more information on the “Get Smart About Drugs” publication, click for English or Spanish.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator. Participating in the next DEA Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26th, simply means cleaning out your medicine cabinet or anywhere you keep unused, unwanted, or expired medications and dropping them off at your nearest collection site.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 26th Take Back day event, go to DEA Drug Take Back event or by calling 800-882-9539.
The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs.
More information is available here: English or Spanish.
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U.S. Online Marketplace Operator Charged with Trafficking Deadly Synthetic Opioids Stronger Than FentanylRead the Press Release
Today, an indictment was unsealed in the District of Columbia charging eWorldTrade LLC (eWorldTrade), a U.S. company, with conspiracy to distribute synthetic opioids for unlawful importation into the United States. Law enforcement authorities also seized eWorldTrade’s website domain, which was allegedly used to operate an online business-to-business marketplace that facilitated the distribution of synthetic opioids such as isotonitazene and carfentanyl, both significantly more potent than fentanyl.
According to the indictment, from March 2024 through March 2025, eWorldTrade conspired with others to distribute isotonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance, and carfentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, knowing that the controlled substances would be imported into the United States.
eWorldTrade is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for unlawful importation into the United States. If convicted, the company faces a maximum fine of $50,000,000.
On the same day of the unsealing of the indictment, law enforcement authorities seized eWorldTrade’s website and shut down its operation. The website now displays the following warning messages to the public.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville Office made the announcement.
The HSI Knoxville Office, in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Chattanooga Office, investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jayce Born of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section is prosecuting the case. Former Trial Attorney Ann Daniels and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee provided valuable support.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bristol Virginia Man Sentenced to over 31 Years for Carjacking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, Tenn. – On April 16, 2025, Charles Nile Mixon, 49, of Bristol, Virginia, was sentenced to 377 months imprisonment by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following his imprisonment, Mixon will be on supervised release for five years.
On October 30, 2024, following a three-day trial, a jury convicted Mixon of carjacking in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 2119; using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii); possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of 18. U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and possession of a stolen firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(j). The jury also made a special finding that Mixon had previously been convicted of at least three, qualifying violent crimes, which established Mixon as an armed career criminal in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(e).
According to witnesses, court documents, and evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of May 24, 2023, Mixon carjacked a female victim at gunpoint in the parking lot of a Taco Bell restaurant in Bristol, Tennessee. Mixon briefly held the victim at gunpoint inside the vehicle. Following a police chase, Mixon escaped into Virginia and abandoned the carjacked vehicle. The following day, during a conversation with a relative, Mixon admitted to taking the relative’s firearm and using it to carjack the woman at the Taco Bell. The relative contacted law enforcement and Mixon was arrested after another chase from Bristol, Virginia into Bristol, Tennessee. The stolen firearm was located on Mixon after his arrest.
“The sentence imposed is a powerful reminder that violent offenses, such as this carjacking, will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Individuals who repeatedly commit violent offenses are a threat to public safety and our office will continue to prosecute those individuals vigorously.”
“This case involves an individual who has continuously shown total disregard for the law by committing armed carjackings, firearm related offenses, and terrifying acts of violence,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Nashville Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The ATF remains committed to working tirelessly with our local, state, and federal partners to combat violent crime, and protect the communities that we serve.”
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Bristol Tennessee Police Department and ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys B. Todd Martin and Emily Swecker represented the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), 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 Neighborhood (PSN).
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Blount County Man Sentenced to over 15 Years for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On April 16, 2025, Julian Paul Gerdeman, 26, currently of Blount County, Tennessee, was sentenced to 189 months in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following Gerdeman’s imprisonment, he will be on lifetime supervised release and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Gerdeman agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with two counts of receipt of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2) and one count of possession of and access with intent to view child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B).
According to filed court documents, on August 7, 2023, Maryville Police Department (MPD) received a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cybertip reporting a Google user that uploaded child pornography to the user’s Google storage drive. During the investigation it was determined the IP address of the Google user came back to the home address of Gerdeman’s mother. Gerdeman was living in the unattached garage of his mother in Maryville, Tennessee at the time of the Cybertip.
On August 21, 2023, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for the Gerdeman’s electronic devices. Forensic examinations on those items determined they contained 4,324 images of child pornography. Further, the exams found that Gerdeman had received child pornography videos on several different dates.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by several local and federal agencies. The investigation was headed by task force officer Detective Thomas Evans of the Homeland Security Investigations Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (HSI-ICAC) and Detective Clayton Hall of the MPD. Also assisting in the prosecution were Knoxville Police Department and Alcoa Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Knox County Man Sentenced to 60 Years Imprisonment for Two Counts of Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE Tenn. – On April 15, 2025, Matthew Estes, 26, currently of Knox County, Tennessee, was sentenced to 720 months by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his release, Estes will be on lifetime supervision and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Estes agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with two counts of production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a).
According to the filed court documents, on October 13, 2017, the Knoxville Police Department -Internet Crimes against Children (KPD-ICAC) was contacted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police about a video of Estes raping a 16-month-old victim. The video was posted on the dark web on a Tor website, known as “HurtMeh.” The video was located on the discussion board titled, “Toddler being pummeled without any regard to his well-being.”
On May 15, 2017, KPD-ICAC, received a video from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office of Estes again raping the 16-month-old. The video had been located during a forensic examination of a device belonging to a suspect charged with possessing child pornography
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Knoxville Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children and HSI. The investigation was headed by Detective John Williams, HSI-ICAC task force officer.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Two Former VA Employees Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire FraudRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On March 26, 2024, Monika D. Schorer, 59, of Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Teresa Schorer, 59, of Jonesborough, Tennessee, entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud before the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge in the United States District Court at Greeneville.
Each defendant faces a term of up to 20 years in Federal prison, $250,000 in fines, and supervised release of three years. Under their written plea agreements, each defendant has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $213,154.50 for a combined total of $426,309. Sentencing for Monika Schorer has been set for July 23, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. and sentencing for Teresa Schorer’s has been set for July 23, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., both before Judge Corker in the United States District Court at Greeneville.
According to their plea agreements, which have been filed with the court, each woman worked for the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee, and each accepted cash bribe payments from individuals who worked as a surgical sales representative for an independent distributor of a nationwide orthopedic company that manufactured replacement joints and products used during surgeries in which those joints were implanted. The sales representatives routinely sold products to the VA Medical Center where the women worked. According to the filed plea agreements, the sales representatives (who have previously entered guilty pleas) formed a separate company in June 2018 and began selling their own acquired inventory to the VA at inflated prices or when not medically necessary, resulting in losses to the VA. By their written plea agreements, each defendant agreed that they conspired and accepted cash bribe payments from the sales representatives of $9,900 each in September 2018 and $7,000 each in October 2018 for their agreement to commit, collude, and aid in the fraud against the VA.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. “Trey” Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; Nate Landkammer, Special Agent-in-Charge, Mid Atlantic Field Office, VA Office of the Inspector General; Elisa Pellegrini, Special Agent-in-Charge, General Services Administration (GSA) Office of the Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Division; and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.
This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the VA Office of the Inspector General, GSA Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mac D. Heavener, III, and Ryan Blackwell, represent the United States.
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Rodney Paul Martin Sentenced to 90 Months for Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On March 27, 2025, Rodney Paul Martin, 58, formerly of Homosassa, Florida, was sentenced to 90 months by the Honorable Charles E. Atchley, Jr., United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following Martin’s imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for 15 years and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Mr. Martin agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2422(b) and 2427.
According to the filed plea agreement, Martin, using a social media platform, contacted a notional 15-year-old minor boy, who was, in fact, an undercover officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Using a messaging application, Martin attempted to entice the notional minor into creating sexually explicit images and transmitting those images to Martin over the internet
U.S. Attorney, Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge, Joseph E. Carrico, of the FBI, made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Charles D. Minor, assigned from the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, and Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Tennessee Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
A Tennessee woman pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud by her role in making claims for refunds of false COVID-19 employment tax credits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aylissa Glidewell, of Kingsport, conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of claiming the bogus credits. Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those phony businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to addresses she and co-conspirators controlled.
In total, the refunds claimed were over $3.4 million, of which the IRS paid approximately $1.8 million.
Glidewell is set to be sentenced on July 9. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
Tennessee Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn.— On March 12, 2025, Aylissa Glidewell, 35 of Kingsport, Tennessee plead guilty to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud by her role in making claims for refunds of false COVID-19 employment tax credits before the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge. Sentencing is set for July 9, 2025, at 11:00am., in the United States District Court at Greeneville. Glidewell faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aylissa Glidewell conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of claiming the bogus credits. Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those phony businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to an address she and co-conspirators controlled.
In total, the refunds claimed were over $3.4 million, of which the IRS paid approximately $1.8 million.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac D. Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
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Federal Jury Convicts Joshua Aaron Holmes for Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— On March 7, 2025, following a three-day trial in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Knoxville, a jury convicted Joshua Aaron Holmes, age 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1349, mail fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and wire fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1343.
Holmes faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. He will be sentenced by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge in the United States District Court at Knoxville on a date to be determined.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Holmes participated in a scheme to defraud elderly victims. Evidence presented showed that Holmes and others worked to steal money from individuals intending to invest their money. The evidence further showed that Holmes and others then posed as federal agents who promised to help the victims recover money lost through investments; victims were induced to pay fake fees, taxes, and court costs, yet did not receive the return of any lost money—the victims only lost more.
United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Nashville Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michael S. Deel, David P. Lewen, Jr., and William A. Roach, Jr. represented the United States in this case.
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Casey Patrick Henrietta Sentenced over 24 Years for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On February 27, 2025, Casey Patrick Henrietta, 27, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 292 months by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following Henrietta’s imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for life, and he will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Henrietta agreed to plead guilty to one count of attempted production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251 (a) and (e).
According to court documents, in December 2022, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI)-Knoxville Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, was contacted by the New Castle County Police Department in Delaware regarding online production of child pornography of a nine-year-old minor child. The investigation revealed that the solicitation of child pornography of the minor child began when he was nine years of age. The solicitation of the child pornography continued for four years until recently when the child mother found the child pornography in communications between Henrietta and the child.
The investigation revealed that Henrietta and the child began communicating through a game on the PlayStation Network platform. Later, Henrietta moved the conversations with the child to social networking applications where he continued to entice the minor child to engage in unlawful sexual activity for images/videos.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Rena Saoud of HSI made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Shelbyville Woman Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax and Wire Fraud Charges; Agrees to Pay More Than $1.1 Million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - On February 26, 2025, Rebekah Proctor, 33, of Shelbyville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in Chattanooga to one count of willful failure to collect, account for, and pay over a tax, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7202, and one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.
Proctor will be sentenced on July 11, 2025, by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, United States District Judge. She faces up to five years of imprisonment on the tax offense and up to 30 years of imprisonment for wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement filed in this case, Proctor operated Franklin Springs Academy, a daycare business in middle Tennessee. Although she withheld income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (“FICA”) taxes (commonly known as Social Security and Medicare taxes) from her employees’ paychecks and additionally owed the employer’s portion of the FICA taxes, Proctor willfully failed to truthfully account for and pay such taxes to the IRS for the first quarter of 2022. For that quarter alone, she owed tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes.
Proctor also fraudulently applied for and received a COVID-relief Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan to which she was not entitled. Proctor made several false certifications on her April 4, 2020, application for over $100,000 in PPP funds, including that she was current on her federal tax obligations and that the loan funds would be used to retain workers and for other business expenses. In fact, Proctor used the funds for her own personal expenses and for her husband’s personal expenses.
As set forth in her plea agreement with the government, Proctor agreed that the restitution owed to the IRS, for her employment taxes only, is $893,232.26, which includes unpaid taxes plus penalties and interest required by law. She further agreed that the restitution owed to the Small Business Association is $223,800, which is comprised of the $105,800 in PPP loan proceeds she received in April 2020 and $118,000 in additional fraudulently obtained PPP loan proceeds she received in February 2021.
United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins of IRS Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office, made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph G. DeGaetano represents the United States.
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Sean Williams Sentenced to 95 Years for Production of Child Pornography and Escape from CustodyRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On February 24, 2025, Sean Christopher Williams, 53, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was sentenced to 95 years imprisonment by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
In July of 2024, Williams was convicted at trial of escape in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 751(a) and in November of 2024, Williams was convicted at trial of three counts of production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e).
The evidence presented at the escape trial showed that Williams escaped from a transport van enroute to the Greeneville Federal Courthouse on October 18, 2023. His escape resulted in a multistate manhunt that led to the capture of Williams in Pinellas County, Florida, on November 21, 2023.
The evidence presented at the child pornography trial showed that Williams used three minor children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and took photos of the sexually explicit conduct. The conduct occurred at Williams’s apartment in Johnson City. The evidence showed that Williams sexually assaulted each of the victims’ mothers while they were unconscious, around the same time that he took pornographic photos of their children. The criminal conduct extended over a 12-year period. Williams took photos of the first victim in 2008 and the two other victims on separate occasions in 2020. Williams was arrested in 2023 near the campus of Western Carolina University and campus police officers seized flash drives from his car that were later found to contain the photos.
“Sean Williams is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on our community’s most vulnerable victims,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Today’s sentence reflects the severity of the crimes committed and not only ensures that this dangerous individual has been held accountable for the harm he caused, but also prevents him from hurting others again. We thank the dedicated law enforcement officers whose efforts made the convictions and sentence possible.”
“Our children are among the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Nashville Field Office. “The FBI will continue to do everything in its power to stop sexual exploitation of children that causes irreparable harm and trauma to the victims and bring to justice those responsible.”“This case shows the impact of collaboration and determination by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and our local, state, and federal partners to hold accountable an individual who preyed upon innocent children,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “We hope the outcome of this investigation sends a clear message that we will continue to commit all the necessary resources to find and apprehend those who victimize our most vulnerable residents.”
Law enforcement agencies either participating in a joint investigation, or cooperating in a parallel investigation, which led to the apprehension, indictment and subsequent conviction of Williams included the FBI, the United States Marshal Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Western North Carolina Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan L. Gomez, Emily M. Swecker, and J. Gregory Bowman represented the United States at the trials.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Dennis Allen Gaal Sentenced to 25 Years for Engaging in Interstate Travel for the Purpose of Engaging in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On February 21, 2025, Dennis Allen Gaal, 50, currently of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sentenced to 25 years by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following his incarceration, Gaal will be on supervised release for life, and he will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Gaal agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b). Gaal, a registered sex offender from Mississippi, traveled to Chattanooga in December 2023, intending to sexually molest a 10-month-old child. In fact, Gaal had been communicating with a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was posing as a person with access to the child. Gaal noted in the online discussions with the undercover agent that the sexual abuse would be “a dream come true.” He arrived in Chattanooga with gifts for the notional child, including Christmas outfits, a stuffed animal, and a rattle. When Gaal arrived, he was arrested and has remained in custody since his arrest.
“The defendant, while already a convicted sex offender, traveled to Tennessee to sexually molest a 10-month-old child,” said Francis M. Hamilton III, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “The facts are outrageous and disturbing. We are dedicated to prosecuting offenders like this to the full extent of the law.”
“Exploitation of children offenses are heinous and leave an immeasurable impact on victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “To protect our children, the FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and bring sexual predators to justice.”
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the FBI and the investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Samuel Moore.
Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks and Special Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Minor with the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Convicted Knoxville Gang Leader Sentenced to 45 Years for Drug Trafficking, Firearms, and Money Laundering CrimesRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. On February 10, 2025, Bryan Cornelius, 34, of Knoxville, was sentenced to a total term of 45 years in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, Cornelius will be on supervised release for five years.
The sentencing follows Cornelius’s federal trial in April 2022, during which a jury convicted him of conspiring to distribute various controlled substances, including methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana. The evidence presented at trial included wiretaps of multiple cellular phones, multiple search warrants at various Knoxville residences, narcotics, firearms, and cash seizures. The evidence showed that Cornelius, a member of the Gangster Disciples street gang, was ordering narcotics from different sources of supply in California and receiving packages of methamphetamine and marijuana through the United States Postal Service (USPS), Fed-Ex, and UPS throughout 2019 and that he maintained multiple addresses across Knoxville to stash his narcotics, firearms, and cash to facilitate his narcotics distribution. In addition, the evidence showed that, in furtherance of his drug trafficking, at approximately 2:45 p.m. on November 21, 2019, Cornelius, along with two others, drove by the Stop-n-Go on Brooks Avenue and Cornelius and fired fifteen rounds of 7.62mm into a Mercedes-Benz. The driver sustained two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. The jury also convicted Cornelius of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, twenty-two other charged members of the conspiracy previously pleaded guilty.
In determining the sentence, Judge Varlan took into account several aggravating factors, including Cornelius’s role as a leader and organizer of the crimes, his credible threats of violence made against other people in connection with his crimes, and his use of guns and violence in connection with his crimes.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Tommy D. Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division, made the announcement.
This conviction and sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by the FBI HIDTA Task Force and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The FBI HIDTA Task Force includes the Roane County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Sevier County Sheriff’s Office. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, also assisted in this investigation by conducting drug analysis on seized narcotics in the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Cynthia Davidson and Alan Kirk represented the United States.
This case was part of the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the HIDTA programs. OCDETF is the primary weapon of the United States against the highest-level drug trafficking organizations operating within the United States, importing drugs into the United States, or laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. The HIDTA program enhances and coordinates drug control efforts among local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies. The program provides agencies with coordination, equipment, technology, and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of the United States.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Collects $22,332,003.82 in Criminal and Civil Actions, and $5,043,741 in Asset Forfeiture Actions in Fiscal Year 2024Read the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III announced today that the Eastern District of Tennessee collected $22,332,003.83 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $10,674,477.21 was collected in criminal actions and $11,657,526.62 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, working with partner agencies, collected $5,043,741 in asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2024.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
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James C. Thompson Sentenced to Twenty Years for Transportation of A Minor in Interstate Commerce with the Intent to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On January 24, 2025, James C. Thompson, 72, formerly of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, was sentenced to 240 months by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, District Court Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Thompson was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and to serve three years on supervised release. In addition, Thompson will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Thompson agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with four counts of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in sexual activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(a).
According to court filed documents, in 2000, Thompson traveled on separate occasions with three different boys and sexually molested them. Thompson was 48 years old at the time and the young boys were less than 18 years old. Thompson drove them from the community where they lived, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, to different out-of-state locations. When Thompson’s conduct was discovered, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation confronted Thompson and he confessed.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Jackson County Alabama Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Samuel Moore.
Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks and Special Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Minor represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Justice Department Secures Settlement to Resolve Discrimination Claims in Student Loans Against SouthEast BankRead the Press Release
Note: View the complaint here and the consent order here.
The Justice Department announced today that SouthEast Bank agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of lending discrimination by disproportionately discouraging and denying Black and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) graduates seeking to refinance their student loans.
“Everyone in our country should have a fair chance and equal opportunity to refinance a school loan. By rejecting graduates based on where they obtained their degree, SouthEast Bank’s policy denied and discouraged Black, American Indian and Alaska Native graduates seeking to refinance student loans for reasons that were wholly unrelated to their personal merit or ability to repay their loans,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This is a reminder of how historic inequities in lending and refinance opportunities for Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students persist today, and why combating these inequities is an essential part of the Justice Department’s work.”
The complaint, which was filed on Jan. 18, in the Eastern District of Tennessee, alleges that, between December 2015 and April 2021, the refinance program’s eligibility criteria automatically denied graduates of schools with school-based default rates above thresholds SouthEast established. Under this policy, for example, Black bachelor’s degree recipients were as much as 4.3 times more likely to be excluded than bachelor’s degree recipients who were not Black. Similarly, AI/AN Bachelor’s degree recipients were as much as 3 times more likely to be excluded than bachelor’s degree recipients who were not AI/AN. The department’s complaint further alleges that SouthEast’s policy disproportionately excluded graduates of as many as 84.4% of majority-Black schools, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, but no more than 21.1% of colleges and universities whose student bodies were not majority-Black.
The consent order, which is subject to court approval, requires SouthEast Bank to spend a total of $1.5 million to:
- Compensate applicants who were denied the ability to refinance their student loans by the policy;
- Increase access to student loan refinancing for qualified graduates of schools that were previously excluded under the policy; and
- Provide consumer financial education to students and graduates of those previously excluded schools.
The department’s investigation into SouthEast’s student loan refinancing program originated from a referral by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. SouthEast cooperated with the investigation and worked with the Justice Department to resolve the allegations.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work to uphold and protect civil and constitutional rights is available at justice.gov/crt. Complaints about discriminatory practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division through its internet reporting portal at civilrights.justice.gov.
LabCorp and University Health System Agree to Pay $388,667 to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (“LCAH”), Laboratory Corporation of America (“LCA”), Labcorp Tennessee, LLC (“LCTN”) (collectively, “LabCorp”), and University Health System, Inc. (“UHS”) have paid $388,667.17 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by delaying the submission of physician orders for certain laboratory tests by Caris Life Sciences, Inc. (“Caris”) to enable improper billings to Medicare for those tests.
During the relevant timeframe, Medicare’s Date of Service or “14-Day” Rule prohibited laboratories from separately billing Medicare for tests performed on specimens if a physician ordered the test within 14 days of the patient’s discharge from a hospital stay either in an outpatient or inpatient setting. If the test was performed more than 14 days after discharge, then Medicare’s 14-Day Rule permitted laboratories to bill Medicare directly for the test. If the test was performed within the 14-day window, the laboratory must instead bill the hospital facility.
UHS operates University of Tennessee Medical Center (“UTMC”), and LCA provides clinical laboratory services through LCTN at UTMC’s outpatient laboratory. According to filed documents, between March 2012 and November 2023, UHS and LCTN caused the delay of the submission of physician orders for Caris testing, by either holding orders for submission or cancelling and resubmitting orders, until 14 days after a Medicare beneficiary’s discharge from the hospital to circumvent Medicare’s Date of Service Rule, which allowed the submission of claims to Medicare. The United States contends that, in doing so, UHS and LCTN violated the Date of Service Rule and knowingly caused the submission of false claims for reimbursement to Medicare. UHS and LabCorp cooperated with the United States’ investigation and resolution thereof. Caris, for its part, previously agreed to pay $2.8M to resolve allegations in the Eastern District of New York of its related conduct on a nationwide scale.
This settlement resolves, in part, a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and receive a share of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Kim Vo v. Caris Life Sciences, Inc. et al., No. 3:20-CV-509 (E.D. Tenn.). Relator Kim Vo received $73,846.76 of the proceeds from the settlement. UHS was not a party to the qui tam case but participated in the settlement.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexa Ortiz Hadley and Jeremy S. Dykes represented the United States, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and Trial Attorney Robert C. K. Boyd of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Fraud Section.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Food City Agrees to Pay over $8M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Opioid DispensingRead the Press Release
K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. doing business as Food City (Food City), a regional grocery store chain headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, has agreed to settle the government’s allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) related to its dispensing of opioids and other controlled substances. Under the settlement, Food City will pay the United States $8,488,378. Food City will pay an additional $78,621 to the states of Virginia and Kentucky for claims paid to Food City by state Medicaid programs.
“Pharmacies that fill prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances have an obligation to ensure that those prescriptions are medically necessary,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to holding accountable pharmacies that have abdicated this responsibility and thereby contributed to the nation’s opioids crisis.”
“When pharmacies fill prescriptions for opioids and other powerful controlled substances without regard to their legitimacy or medical necessity it significantly contributes to the opioid epidemic, causing great harm to our citizens and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “This settlement agreement demonstrates that the United States Attorney’s Office, and federal, state and local law enforcement partners, are using all tools available to address the opioid crisis.”
“The Medicare and Medicaid programs deliver vital prescription drug services to beneficiaries,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This case underscores HHS-OIG’s dedication to addressing the nation’s opioid overdose crisis and ensuring that only legitimate, medically necessary prescriptions are dispensed.”
“The opioid epidemic continues to significantly impact the nation, devastating families across our country,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek M. Holt of the Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. “We applaud our law enforcement partners and colleagues at the Justice Department for their work to hold pharmacies accountable for actions that could exacerbate the epidemic and endanger the health and safety of patients served by federal health care programs.”
“This settlement demonstrates our commitment to holding pharmacies that knowingly dispense medically unnecessary opioids and other controlled substances accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our investigative partners for their steadfast dedication to fighting the opioid epidemic plaguing our country and helping us protect servicemembers and their families.”
“TRICARE is committed to providing safe, effective, and appropriate care to our warfighters, retirees, veterans and their families,” said Chief Edward C. Norton Jr. of the Defense Health Agency’s Pharmacy Operations Division. “Dispensing medically unnecessary opioids and other controlled substances to our beneficiaries puts them at great risk and will not be tolerated. We will continue to hold pharmacies accountable for abiding by these standards to ensure we are delivering the very best health benefit to those who serve, or have served, our nation.”
The United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2018, 24 Food City store pharmacies dispensed opioids and other controlled substances that were medically unnecessary, lacked a legitimate medical purpose or medically accepted indication, and/or were not dispensed pursuant to valid prescriptions. The United States alleges that, as a result, Food City knowingly submitted, or caused to be submitted, false claims to federal healthcare programs.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by K-VA-T Litigation Partnership, LLP. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. K-VA-T Litigation Partnership, LLP v. K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. d/b/a Food City, Case No. 3:20-cv-436 (EDTN). Relator K-VA-T Litigation Partnership, LLP will receive $1,527,908 of the proceeds from the settlement.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of Tennessee, with assistance from HHS-OIG and DCIS.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Elizabeth J. Kappakas of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan G. McGonigal and Alexa O. Hadley for the Eastern District of Tennessee handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Food City Agrees to Pay over $8 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Opioid DispensingRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. doing business as Food City (Food City), a regional grocery store chain headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, has agreed to settle the government’s allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) related to its dispensing of opioids and other controlled substances. Under the settlement, Food City will pay the United States $8,488,378. Food City will pay an additional $78,621 to the states of Virginia and Kentucky for claims paid to Food City by state Medicaid programs.
According to court filed documents, the United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2018, 24 Food City store pharmacies dispensed opioids and other controlled substances that were medically unnecessary, lacked a legitimate medical purpose or medically accepted indication, and/or were not dispensed pursuant to valid prescriptions. The United States alleges that, as a result, Food City knowingly submitted, or caused to be submitted, false claims to federal healthcare programs.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by K-VA-T Partnership, LLP. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. K-VA-T Litigation Partnership, LLP v. K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. d/b/a Food City, Case No. 3:20-cv-436 (EDTN). Relator K-VA-T Litigation Partnership, LLP will receive $1,527,908 of the proceeds from the settlement.
“Pharmacies that fill prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances have an obligation to ensure that those prescriptions are medically necessary,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to holding accountable pharmacies that have abdicated this responsibility and thereby contributed to the nation’s opioids crisis.”
“When pharmacies fill prescriptions for opioids and other powerful controlled substances without regard to their legitimacy or medical necessity it significantly contributes to the opioid epidemic, causing great harm to our citizens and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “This settlement agreement demonstrates that the United States Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, are using all tools available to address the opioid crisis.”
“The Medicare and Medicaid programs deliver vital prescription drug services to beneficiaries,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This case underscores HHS-OIG’s dedication to addressing the nation’s opioid overdose crisis and ensuring that only legitimate, medically necessary prescriptions are dispensed.”
“The opioid epidemic continues to significantly impact the nation, devastating families across our country,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek M. Holt of the Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. “We applaud our law enforcement partners and colleagues at the Department of Justice for their work to hold pharmacies accountable for actions that could exacerbate the epidemic and endanger the health and safety of patients served by Federal health care programs.”
“Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to holding pharmacies that knowingly dispense medically unnecessary opioids and other controlled substances accountable for their actions,” stated Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our investigative partners for their steadfast dedication to fighting the opioid epidemic plaguing our country and helping us protect servicemembers and their families.”
“TRICARE is committed to providing safe, effective, and appropriate care to our warfighters, retirees, veterans, and their families. Dispensing medically unnecessary opioids and other controlled substances to our beneficiaries puts them at great risk and will not be tolerated,” said Chief Edward C. Norton Jr. of the Pharmacy Operations Division for the Defense Health Agency. “We will continue to hold pharmacies accountable for abiding by these standards to ensure we are delivering the very best health benefit to those who serve or have served our nation.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of Tennessee, with assistance from HHS-OIG and DCIS.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan G. McGonigal, Alexa Ortiz Hadley, and Jeremy S. Dykes for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Civil Division Fraud Section Trial Attorney Elizabeth J. Kappakas.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Ghanian Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Two-Million Dollar International Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – On November 26, 2024, Wigbert Bandie, 34, currently of Accra, Ghana, was sentenced to 63 months by United States District Judge, the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his incarceration, Bandie will be on supervised release for three years. Bandie was also ordered to repay $2.18 million in restitution to the 11 victims in this case.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Bandie pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 and 1343.
According to the filed court papers, Bandie, along with members of the conspiracy, assumed false identities on social media, dating websites, and other internet-based platforms in a scheme to trick primarily elderly victims into entering friendships and romantic relationships. Bandie then played various roles in exploiting those connections to convince individuals to send them money via wire, check, U.S. mail, and package delivery services.
As part of the conspiracy, romance scammers or “handlers” posed as potential friends or romantic partners and entered online relationships with unwitting victims, many of whom were elderly. The relationships usually developed quickly through social media contact, text messages, email, and phone calls. Once the victim was clearly engaged in the scam, the scammer would begin to ask for emergency financial assistance or dupe victims into non-existent investment opportunities. If the victim sent money, the scammer would ask for increasingly larger amounts of financial assistance. There were victims throughout the United States who each lost amounts ranging from several thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. For example, one victim who resided in the Eastern District of Tennessee lost over $280,000 to this scheme over the course of several months.
Other co-conspirators functioned as “money mules” in the conspiracy. That is, they worked in conjunction with other members of the conspiracy to move the financial proceeds of the scams from the United States overseas through bank wire transfers or through the mail.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne H. Sullivan represented the United States.
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Federal Jury Convicts Maryville Man of Conspiring to Murder FBI EmployeesRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On November 20, 2024, following a three-day trial in United States District Court, a jury convicted Edward Kelley, 35, of Maryville, Tennessee, of Conspiracy to Murder Federal Employees, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1117; Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 373; and Influencing a Federal Official by Threat, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 115(a)(1)(B).
Kelley faces a sentence of up to life in federal prison. He will be sentenced by United States District Judge, the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court at Knoxville on May 7, 2025, at 2:00 pm.
The evidence presented at trial established that Kelley, while awaiting trial for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including FBI agents and employees. The proof showed that Kelley developed a “kill list” of FBI agents and others who participated in the investigation into his conduct on January 6 and that Kelley distributed this list – along with videos containing images of certain FBI employees identified on the list – to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission.”
A cooperating defendant, who previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.
At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the defendant calling for the development of a “course of action” related to his plan. In one such recording, the defendant gave the instructions to, among other things, “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. Kelley was recorded stating: “Every hit has to hurt. Every hit has to hurt.”
“The safety of our men and women in law enforcement is of paramount concern,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “There is simply no room in society for those who would engage in this kind of reprehensible conduct and threaten to assassinate FBI agents and others who are honorably serving to uphold the law, and this office will pursue all such threats against civil servants working for the public good.”
“The danger posed by the defendant in this case was very real,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Today’s guilty verdict is a culmination of the tireless efforts of our dedicated employees and the invaluable partnership we have with our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to protect the nation from threats of violent extremism.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T, Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson of the Eastern District of Tennessee prosecuted the case with the assistance of Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren, Tanya Senanayake, and David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. It was led by the FBI and involved the assistance of FBI offices from across the country.
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Federal Jury Convicts Man of Conspiring to Murder FBI EmployeesRead the Press Release
Edward Kelley, 35, of Maryville, Tennessee, was convicted following a three-day trial in the Eastern District of Tennessee of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and influencing a federal official by threat.
The evidence presented at trial established that Kelley — while awaiting trial for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach — developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including FBI agents and employees. The proof showed that Kelley developed a “kill list” of FBI agents and others who participated in the investigation into his conduct on Jan. 6 and that Kelley distributed this list — along with videos containing images of certain FBI employees identified on the list — to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission.”
A cooperating defendant, who previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI Field Office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.
At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the defendant calling for the development of a “course of action” related to his plan. In one such recording, the defendant gave the instructions to, among other things, “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. Kelley was recorded stating: “Every hit has to hurt. Every hit has to hurt.”
Kelley is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Tennessee prosecuted the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren, Tanya Senanayake, and David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies investigated the case. The investigation was led by the FBI and involved the assistance of FBI offices from across the country.
Patrick Bryant Hawley Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — On November 14, 2024, Patrick Bryant Hawley, 42, of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, was arrested in Chattanooga by agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on charges involving sexual exploitation of children.
An initial appearance was held at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 14, 2024, in the United States District Court in Chattanooga, before United States Magistrate Judge, Honorable Susan K. Lee, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Hawley was detained following this proceeding. An arraignment is scheduled for Friday, November 22, 2024. A trial date will be set at a later time.
The details of the charges are outlined in the arrest warrant and supporting affidavit, which are filed as public records in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
United States Attorney, Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge, Rana Saoud, with HSI, and Special Agent in Charge, Joseph E. Carrico, with FBI made the announcement.
HSI encourages anyone who believes that they or someone they know has been a victim of child exploitation should contact HSI at (877) 4-HSI-TIP or online at www.ice.gov/tipline.
Members of the public are reminded that these are only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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