Middle District of Tennessee
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Braden Boucek Sworn in to Serve as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of TennesseeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Braden Boucek was sworn in on December 24, 2025, as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. In a brief ceremony, Judge Whitney Hermandorfer of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit administered the oath of office at the Fred D. Thompson Federal Courthouse in Nashville.
Mr. Boucek was nominated by President Donald J. Trump on July 1, 2025, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 18, 2025. In that role, he serves as the chief federal prosecutor and legal representative of the United States for the 32 counties and approximately 2.9 million residents of Middle Tennessee.
“I want to thank President Trump for nominating me to this important position and Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty for their strong support during the confirmation process. I am deeply humbled by the trust placed in me to defend the life, liberty, and property of a sovereign people. I thank the American people for giving me the opportunity to once again secure the blessings of liberty as protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States. I am eager to get to work.”
Prior to becoming United States Attorney, Mr. Boucek served as the senior vice president of litigation at the Southeastern Legal Foundation having previously served as the vice president of legal affairs at the Beacon Center. Mr. Boucek has extensive experience as a prosecutor, starting his career at the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office before serving for two years as an Assistant District Attorney General in Williamson County. He was a federal prosecutor for ten years, first serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Tennessee from 2005 to 2011. From 2011 to 2015, Mr. Boucek was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee, the district he will now lead as the United States Attorney.
During his legal career, Mr. Boucek has tried multiple jury trials at the state and federal level and argued dozens of cases before state and federal appellate courts including the Tennessee Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Mr. Boucek earned his B.A. at the University of Richmond and his J.D. from Florida State University College of Law. He has been practicing law in Tennessee since 2001.
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Franklin CPA Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Stealing Clients’ Funds and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A Tennessee man was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison for stealing money from his clients’ bank accounts, preparing false tax returns that fraudulently increased their refunds, and stealing some or all of those refunds, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
"Jerkins’ clients did not know that he was filing tax returns with the IRS that were different than the copy provided to them,” said Acting U.S. Attorney McGuire. “Jerkins had an obligation to file accurate income tax returns for his clients, but instead, he betrayed them by not only stealing from his clients, but also the American taxpayers in order to line his own pockets and finance his opulent lifestyle.”
Jason Alexander Jerkins of Franklin pleaded guilty on July 30, 2025. According to court documents and statements made in court, Jerkins, owner of Jerkins Business Solutions, provided bookkeeping, payroll, tax-return preparation, and similar accounting and tax services. To pay his clients’ expenses, Jerkins had online access to their bank accounts. Between March 2020 and April 2025, Jerkins stole over $4.6 million from 45 clients by wiring money from their bank accounts to accounts he controlled or could access. He hid these fraudulent wires by recording them with innocuous descriptions like “Jerkins Business Sol” or “Jerkins Business Sale” and timing them close to legitimate transfers. When clients became suspicious, Jerkins created false documents to deceive them into believing the stolen funds were used to pay valid expenses, or he repaid those clients by stealing from other clients.
Jerkins also prepared at least 80 false tax returns to fraudulently inflate his clients’ tax refunds. He then directed the IRS to deposit some or all of each tax refund into an account Jerkins controlled. Jerkins hid this fraud from his clients by printing them a different return than the one he filed. In pursuit of this tax fraud, Jerkins attempted to steal about $380,010, and successfully stole about $280,970, from his clients and the U.S. Treasury.
Jerkins used the nearly $5 million he stole from his clients and the taxpaying public to pay off personal credit cards, take vacations, lease vehicles, purchase real estate, and buy luxuries for himself and his family.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger for the Middle District of Tennessee ordered Jerkins to pay approximately $4.5 million in restitution to his victims and the United States.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Matthew Hicks of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Levine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
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Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Philip Taylor Sobash, 35, of Austin, Texas, has pled guilty to one charge of sexual exploitation of a minor, while also admitting to sexually exploiting six other minors.
“Protecting children from sexual predators is among the highest priorities of our office and the Department of Justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Holding Sobash accountable for all of his offenses against all his victims is vitally important to the safety of children in our community and across the country.”
According to court documents, between October 2018 and May 2019, Sobash, then a practicing physician, engaged in an online sexually explicit relationship with Minor Victim 1, who resided in the Middle District of Tennessee. This online relationship began after they connected on a dating website that facilitates “sugar daddy” relationships. After their communications moved to text message, Minor Victim 1 informed Sobash that she was 17 years old and sent him a photo of her driver’s license, which confirmed her age.
Sobash requested that Minor Victim 1 produce and send him sexually explicit images of herself and provided her thousands of dollars in cash and gifts to entice her to do so. Over the course of more than seven months, Minor Victim 1 sent hundreds of sexually explicit photos and videos to Sobash, most of which constituted child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
In addition to sexually exploiting Minor Victim 1, Sobash admitted to sexually exploiting six other minors, aged 16-17, between 2017 and 2020. At Sobash’s direction, Minor Victims 2 through 7 created CSAM and sent it to Sobash. Sobash distributed CSAM depicting Minor Victims 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, resulting in those victims’ images being sold online under their names.
Sobash faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced. He also is subject to forfeiture of property as alleged in the indictment.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison and Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Thirty-Eight Defendants Charged Following Investigations by the Nashville Homeland Security Task ForceRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Thirty-eight defendants – including eight members and associates of MS-13 – have been charged on a variety of charges involving trafficking in fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, carjacking, assault on law enforcement, use of firearms during the commission of a violent crime, unlawful possession of firearms, and immigration offenses, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The Nashville HSTF comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshals Service (USMS), United States Secret Service (USSS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other federal agencies, working in collaboration with our state and local partners, with the prosecutions being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“These efforts illustrate law enforcement’s commitment to stop gang violence, combat the scourge of fentanyl overdoses here in Middle Tennessee, and hold offenders accountable for the havoc they have wreaked on our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney McGuire. “Working together as part of the Homeland Security Task Force, these agencies have made our communities throughout Middle Tennessee safer and stronger.”
In United States vs. Rodriguez and United States v. Mendoza, Victor Alfonso Paez Rodriguez and Jesus Mendoza Viera, both of whom are illegally present in the United States, are alleged to have trafficked large quantities of fentanyl from Mexico into middle Tennessee. HSI was the lead investigative agency with assistance from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD).
In United States v. Copeland, Trenell Copeland, Tabria Bowens, Cassandra Lawson, Alicia Barman, and Ashanti Williams are charged with offenses related to the trafficking of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana into the Trousdale County Correctional Facility where Trenell Copeland was serving a state sentence. The lead investigative agency was the FBI with assistance from the Tennessee Department of Corrections Office of Investigations and Conduct (TDOC-OIC).
In United States v. Bangeas, Debyi Bangeas – an MS-13 member who is illegally present in the United States– was charged with carjacking, use of a firearm during that carjacking, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The lead federal agencies were ATF and HSI in collaboration with MNPD.
In United States v. Contreras Arita, two MS-13 members, Kevin Jasir Contreras Arita, Jose Pena, and MS-13 associate David Dubon-Enamarado, were charged with drug trafficking, assault on a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, and illegal re-entry into the United States. The lead federal agencies were HSI and ATF in collaboration with MNPD.
In United States v. Leonel Vargas, MS-13 member Leonel Vargas, who is illegally present in the United States, was charged with drug trafficking cocaine and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug-trafficking, and being an illegal alien unlawfully in possession of a firearm. The lead federal agencies were ATF and HSI in collaboration with MNPD.
In United States v. Anthony Vargas, MS-13 associate Anthony Vargas, who is illegally present in the United States, was charged with being an illegal alien unlawfully in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Vargas was caught with a stolen firearm which has ballistic associations to the homicide of a fourteen-year-old girl. The lead federal agencies were ATF and HSI in collaboration with MNPD.
In United States v. Sandoval, thirteen defendants, including one MS-13 member and one MS-13 associate, were charged as part of a methamphetamine and cocaine distribution conspiracy resulting from a months’-long investigation. The lead agencies were the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID) and DEA with assistance from ATF, HSI, FBI, USMS, USSS, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), MNPD, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP).
In United States v. Toliver, twelve defendants were charged with trafficking in fentanyl sourced from outside the United States as well as multiple federal firearms charges. Crossville has experienced a spike in the number of overdose deaths linked to fentanyl. Some of those overdoses are alleged to be connected to the trafficking activities of these defendants. The lead agencies were the FBI, TBI, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from HSI, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and THP.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katy Risinger, Joshua Kurtzman and Emily Petro. AUSA Risinger is the Lead HSTF Attorney for the Nashville Homeland Security Task Force.
An indictment or a complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Ukrainian National Extradited from Ireland in Connection with Conti RansomwareRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Following his extradition from Ireland, a Ukrainian man had his initial appearance today in the Middle District of Tennessee on a 2023 indictment charging him with conspiracy to deploy Conti, a ransomware variant that infected victim computers and networks, encrypting their data.
According to court documents, from in or around 2020 and continuing until about June 2022, Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 43, of Cork, Ireland, conspired with others to deploy Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. Court filings allege the conspirators hacked into victims’ computer networks, encrypted their data, and demanded a ransom to restore the victims’ access to their files and avoid public disclosure of the hacked information. The conspirators allegedly extorted more than $500,000 in cryptocurrency from two victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, and published information stolen from a third victim in that District.
Conti was used to attack more than 1,000 victims worldwide, including victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, approximately 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and approximately 31 foreign countries. The FBI estimates that, as of January 2022, Conti ransomware attacks resulted in at least $150 million in ransom payments. According to the FBI, in 2021, Conti ransomware was used to attack more critical infrastructure victims than any other ransomware variant. Court documents further allege that Lytvynenko controlled data stolen from numerous Conti victims and was involved in the ransom notes deployed on the victims’ systems.
At the request of the United States, An Garda Síochána—the Irish national police—arrested Lytvynenko in July 2023. An Irish court then detained him pending extradition proceedings which concluded this month. In addition to his involvement in Conti, filings allege that he engaged in cybercrime up until days before his arrest in Ireland in 2023.
“The defendant allegedly participated in a conspiracy to extort approximately $150 million in ransomware payments responsible for defrauding victims in almost every U.S. state and from over two dozen countries worldwide,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Ransomware is a significant threat to the safety, security, and prosperity of American citizens and business. The Department will continue to pursue ransomware actors all over the world in its efforts to hold them to account for the damage they have inflicted on victims.”
“We will continue to work diligently to hold ransomware actors accountable for their actions which victimize American businesses and harm Tennesseans,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I commend the prosecutors and investigators who have worked hard and sought justice for years in this investigation, and we look forward to proving our case in court.”
“Lytvynenko conspired to deploy Conti ransomware against victims in the United States and across the globe, extorting millions in cryptocurrency and amassing a trove of stolen data,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “His extradition demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Irish law enforcement and the FBI’s commitment to counter cyber criminals who threaten American infrastructure. We urge every organization to remain vigilant and quickly report ransomware intrusions to your local FBI field office.”
Lytvynenko is charged with computer fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for the computer fraud conspiracy and 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy.
In September 2023, an indictment charging four other Conti conspirators was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee.
The FBI’s Nashville, San Diego, and El Paso field offices and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Phillips of the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
The extradition was handled by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs with the cooperation of the Irish government and assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Ireland.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. CCIPS leads the Department of Justice’s fight against ransomware. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lewisburg Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for International Parental KidnappingRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Kate Carson, 38, of Lewisburg, Tennessee was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison today for international parental kidnapping, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Protecting vulnerable children from harm is the highest priority of our office,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Kate Carson kidnapped her young son in full defiance of family court orders because she thought she knew better. She is now being held accountable for her crime and will face the consequences of her decisions.”
“Every child deserves a safe and stable upbringing,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This sentence should send a clear message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will make it a priority to investigate those who commit similar acts.”
According to court documents, Carson is the mother of N.C. who, in the summer of 2023, was nine years old. Carson and N.C.’s father were involved in custody litigation in Sumner County involving Carson’s request for a parental relocation to Portugal. In July 2023, a family law judge allowed Carson to travel to Portugal with N.C. However, she did not return as ordered and wrote a letter to the judge saying she was disobeying his order and had no plans to return to the United States.
Once N.C.’s father began pressing his rights in The Hauge international tribunal, Carson fled Portugal with N.C. to Indonesia, a country who does not share an extradition treaty with the United States. According to court documents, Carson then tried to pay the child’s father to abandon his pursuit of custody and end his cooperation with law enforcement.
In October 2024, Carson was a fugitive from justice and had been federally indicted by a Nashville grand jury for international parental kidnapping. Indonesian immigration authorities sought to expel her from their country and asked her to leave voluntarily. When she did not comply, she was eventually detained by Indonesian immigration authorities. According to court documents, she briefly escaped from an Indonesian detention facility and continued her flight, fleeing from one Indonesian island to another with N.C. and other members of her family. Finally, she was apprehended by Indonesian immigration officials and expelled from the country. Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation accompanied her from the airport in Indonesia to the United States where, upon arrival on American soil, she was arrested.
In April 2025, Carson pleaded guilty to one count of international parental kidnapping with sentencing to be set by U.S. Chief District Judge William L. Campbell, Jr. Today, Judge Campbell ordered Carson to serve a sentence of 18 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release. Judge Campbell prohibited contact with N.C. absent Carson showing that visitation has been granted by a family court with jurisdiction over her and N.C.
N.C. has since been reunited with his father and is being provided counseling services.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office. Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire prosecuted the case.
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Nashville Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Ladonta Glenn, 31, of Nashville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to travel in interstate to engage in unlawful sexual activity, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“We will do what it takes to protect children in our community from sexual predators who prowl social media looking for victims,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I want to commend the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their excellent work on this case. I also want to encourage all parents in our community to be aware of what your children are doing on social media, to know who they are talking to online, and to be aware that danger is lurking in every app.”
On August 1, 2024, officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) responded to a house in Nashville, after receiving a tip that a 16-year-old minor female runaway was there. When officers arrived at the house, they were let in by the Defendant’s mother. When the officers first asked the Defendant about the minor victim, he denied knowing her; however, his mother told the officers that she was upstairs.
After initially claiming he didn’t know the minor victim, Glenn stated he got her phone number from a friend through Instagram. He said the minor victim called him and said she needed a ride, then that he thought someone had given her a ride to his house. Glenn claimed he was going to let the minor victim stay at his house until her mother could come get her because he was “being a friend.” He claimed that she told him that her boyfriend stayed in Tennessee, but her boyfriend kicked her out. As officers continued speaking with Glenn, he said he met the minor victim through Instagram as she was “going out” with his friend, Brandon. He claimed someone dropped the minor victim off in Tennessee. After the minor victim got into a fight with her boyfriend, Glenn said he texted her and told her if she didn’t have any place to go, she could come to his house. Glenn admitted he knew she was 16 years old, but claimed he did not know she was a runaway.
After telling several different stories to the officers, Glenn was transported to MNPD Headquarters where he was interviewed by a Youth Services detective. Before being interviewed, Glenn was advised of his Miranda rights, which he agreed to waive and speak with the detective. He continued to tell different stories about how he knew the victim and how she got to his house. He initially denied being the minor victim’s boyfriend, but when she referred to him as her boyfriend, he said it was nothing serious. When he was asked if the minor victim sent him any nude images, he said she may have sent some through Instagram, but then said he didn’t do anything with them because “you could go to jail for exposing a little girl like that.” He claimed if he received nudes from the minor victim, he looked at the nudes and then deleted them. When asked if the nudes would still be on his phone, he indicated they would be in his “your eyes only” folder.
When asked about sexual contact with the minor victim, Glenn said he knew the law, and that because the minor victim was 16, she could not consent. He was then asked if he wanted to have sex with the minor victim, which he denied, but he then said if he did have sex with her, it was consensual. When asked about sexting with the minor victim, he denied sexting with the minor victim, but he admitted they engaged in sexual communications over text.
On August 1, 2024, when MNPD officers located the minor victim, they observed what appeared to be “hickies” on her neck while they were speaking with her. She stated that Glenn was her boyfriend, they had been dating for about a month, and that she believed he was 15 years old. During a forensic interview of the minor victim, she said she met Glenn on Instagram, they exchanged phone numbers and then began communicating on a regular basis. When she learned that he was 31 years old, she was shocked. She said they had phone sex, which she described as recording herself while she was masturbating, and she sent the recordings to Glenn using her cell phone. She said she sent a lot of videos to Glenn, which she recorded using her iPhone. She told the officers she took a Greyhound bus from her home in Ohio to Nashville, which Glenn paid for. Once she arrived at the Glenn’s house, he immediately asked her to perform fellatio on him in the bathroom, which she did, and after that they engaged in vaginal intercourse.
On August 27, 2024, the FBI performed a forensic extraction of the Defendant’s cell phone after obtaining a federal search warrant. The hidden folder on Glenn’s phone contained multiple photos and videos, including sexually explicit videos, of the minor victim. The FBI located a conversation between the Defendant and the minor victim starting on June 29 and ending on July 10. During the conversation, Glenn asked the minor victim to be his girlfriend, and the two began discussing sex.
When he is sentenced on February 2, 2026, Glenn faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison is prosecuting the case.
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Former Tennessee State Representative Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison, and his Chief of Staff Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison, on Fraud, Money Laundering, and Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada, 66, and his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren, 38, of Nashville, have been sentenced for honest services wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering; using a fictitious name to carry out a fraud; and money laundering, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Casada was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison, and Cothren was sentenced on September 16, 2025, to 30 months in federal prison.
“Tennesseans have a right to expect honest services from their elected leaders and their staffs,” said McGuire. “This prosecution, and the sentences ordered today, show our office’s steadfast commitment to seek justice on behalf of our community in cases involving public corruption and fraud. We believe that Tennesseans deserve no less.”
“The defendants abused their power as government officials and defrauded taxpayers for their own enrichment,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who betray public trust and steal from government coffers in order to line their own pockets.”
“In a betrayal of their duty to Tennesseans, Mr. Casada and Mr. Cothren violated the integrity of our government,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Public corruption and fraud will not be tolerated in our community—no matter the position or names of the individuals involved. The sentences imposed today should serve as a wake-up call to other public officials who believe there are no consequences for betraying the public trust.”
Through the State’s Postage and Printing Allowance (“PPA”), each Representative was allocated $3,000, compounding each year, to fund the printing and postage for constituent communications. The expenditure of PPA funds required the approval of the Representative, the Office of the Speaker of the House, and Connie Ridley, the Director of Legislative Administration. Evidence presented a trial showed that shortly after Casada stepped down as Speaker, he, Cothren, and Representative Robin Smith (the “conspirators”), conspired to defraud the State of Tennessee and its citizens. The conspirators agreed that Cothren would create an LLC called Phoenix Solutions to provide constituent mailer services to Tennessee Republican House members. Because of Cothren’s tarnished reputation, the conspirators knew that the venture would be unsuccessful if Cothren’s involvement was widely known. Instead, Casada and Smith either approached their colleagues in the legislature on behalf of Phoenix Solutions or they did not disclose the LLC’s involvement at all. Cothren hid behind the fake identity, “Matthew Phoenix,” supposedly an experienced political consultant formerly with a prominent Washington, D.C., consulting firm.
To keep up this sham, the conspirators repeatedly deceived their colleagues and State officials. For example, Cothren sent the State of Tennessee a fraudulent W-9 in the name of “Matthew Phoenix.” He also involved his girlfriend in the scheme by directing her to falsely pose as another, made-up employee of Phoenix Solutions during an extended email exchange intended to dupe Ridley. The conspirators even manufactured a fake confrontation between Casada and Smith that took place on the floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives—intended to be in full view of other legislators—to throw the current Speaker off their scent.
They went to these lengths because, had Cothren’s involvement been known, the conspirators’ invoices would not have been paid. Legislators testified at trial that they would not have agreed to work with Cothren if they had known the true situation.
As suspicions at the State grew, payment of the conspirators’ invoices slowed. To break the logjam, Cothren “officially set [Smith] loose on [Ridley’s] a**.” As sitting State Representatives, Smith and Casada had unparalleled access to Ridley and her superiors in the Speaker’s Office compared to a typical State vendor. Smith asked the Speaker’s Chief of Staff—effectively Ridley’s boss—to put pressure on Ridley to pay Phoenix Solutions’ invoices and met personally with Ridley in an effort to do the same. Casada also met with Ridley regarding the delayed payment of the conspirators’ invoices and told Smith he was “going to touch base with [the Chief of Staff] tomorrow on this situation of ours.” Ridley testified that her sole goal was to “maintain the integrity of the fiscal operation of” the legislature. But when Ridley continued to resist Casada and Smith’s pressure campaign, they called her a “b**ch.”
In exchange for Casada and Smith’s efforts, Cothren kicked back to them portions of the more than $50,000 the State ultimately paid to the conspirators. As Smith testified, the conspirators also concealed these kickbacks by routing payments from the State through Smith and Casada’s personal consulting companies to accounts controlled by Cothren before he kicked back a portion of the profits to them. Casada’s company, Right Way Consulting, did not exist until he created it in January 2020 to receive fraudulently induced payments from the State.
The initial business with the State and the corresponding abuses of Casada and Smith’s public offices was a crucial launching pad for building a much more lucrative business. They leveraged the initial, State-funded success of the company, and their contacts within and intertwined with government, to gain much more lucrative caucus and campaign work. For example, Cothren posed as “Matthew Cyrus” in a bid to persuade Chip Saltsman, the House Republican Caucus consultant, to use Phoenix Solutions for caucus work. In recorded calls with Daniel Cox, the political director of the Tennessee House Republican caucus, Cothren disguised himself as “Matthew Phoenix” in an effort to win caucus business for Phoenix Solutions. Cothren also used the “Matthew Phoenix” pseudonym to deceive Representative Johnny Garrett in an effort to obtain the legislator’s campaign business. Witnesses who used or recommended Phoenix Solutions for campaign and caucus work testified that they would not have done so if they had known that Cothren was involved or that sitting Representatives were secretly profiting from the work. In total, Phoenix Solutions received approximately $159,496.48 in revenue from caucus and campaign work.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud in 2022 and testified at trial.
On September 9, 2025, United States District Judge Eli Richardson granted in part and denied in part the motions for acquittal that the defendants had made orally at the conclusion of the United States’ proof at trial. Judge Richardson acquitted the defendants on Counts Two, Three and Four of the twenty-count indictment on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence that Casada was an “agent” of the State of Tennessee. Casada now stands convicted of fourteen counts, including conspiracy, honest services fraud, and money laundering. Cothren now stands convicted of sixteen counts of conspiracy, honest services fraud, and money laundering.
In addition to his sentence, Casada was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine and to forfeit $4,643.60 in proceeds. Cothren was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine. Casada and Cothren will also be on supervised release for one year following their terms of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Nashville Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor J. Phillips and Trial Attorneys John P. Taddei and Blake J. Ellison of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section, prosecuted the case.
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Former Plant Supervisors Indicted for Discharging Wastes to Nashville Sewer System and Tampering with a Monitoring DeviceRead the Press Release
A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging two individuals for their alleged involvement with bypassing treatment processes and tampering with a monitoring device at a Nashville waste treatment facility.
The indictment alleges that Randall Ray Stark, of Texas, and Caleb Warren Randall, of Tennessee, conspired to defraud the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to violate the Clean Water Act. According to court documents, Stark was the Facility Operations Manager and Randall was the Plant Supervisor at the facility operated by Allwaste Onsite, doing business as Onsite Environmental (Onsite). As part of the alleged conspiracy, Stark and Randall directed Onsite employees to bypass treatment processes and discharge untreated and partially treated wastewater into the Nashville sewer system in December 2022 and in January 2023. The indictment further alleges that Stark and Randall tampered with and caused Onsite employees to tamper with a sampling device that the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County placed to monitor Onsite’s compliance with its pretreatment permit.
On Aug. 5, Onsite pleaded guilty in Nashville to federal charges relating to the discharges.
If convicted, the defendants face a total sentence of up to 17 years in prison, as well as fines, restitution, and supervised release.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Acting U.S. Attorney Robert McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed A. Safeeullah for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
Clay County Pharmacy Investigation and Prosecution Ends in Guilty PleasRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Thomas K. Weir, 65, majority owner of Oakley Pharmacy d/b/a Dale Hollow Pharmacy and Clay County Xpress Pharmacy (“Xpress Pharmacy”); William L. Donaldson, 65, former owner and pharmacist of Dale Hollow Pharmacy (then known as Donaldson Pharmacy); and Pamela Spivey, 55, co-owner of Xpress Pharmacy (all of Celina, Tennessee), have pleaded guilty a week before a criminal trial was set to begin in Cookeville, Tennessee, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Weir pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances, a conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and a conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. Donaldson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances and a conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. Spivey pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances and a conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
A minority owner of Dale Hollow Pharmacy, Charles Robert “Bobby” Oakley, 74, of Manchester, Tennessee, and the pharmacists-in-charge of each pharmacy; John Polston, 64, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky; and Michael Griffith, 41, of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, all previously pleaded guilty.
The guilty pleas end a years-long investigation and prosecution involving the pharmacies in the small town of Celina, Tennessee, who between 2014 and 2019 dispensed large volumes of controlled substances to patients despite obvious signs of abuse and diversion by the patients and other indications that the prescriptions were not for legitimate medical purposes.
In May and June of 2016, diversion investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) inspected Dale Hollow Pharmacy and in 2017, Weir, Oakley, and Polston signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the DEA related to violations of the regulations governing the dispensing of controlled substances. Dale Hollow Pharmacy, through the conspirators, violated that agreement, and the dispensing at Dale Hollow Pharmacy and neighboring Clay County Xpress Pharmacy continued to increase, as did the obvious signs that patients were abusing and selling the substances, including dispensing to patients who traveled long distances together to fill controlled substances prescriptions in the small town.
The conspirators, through Dale Hollow Pharmacy and Xpress Pharmacy, also submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare Part D plans, and to TennCare, for controlled substances dispensed to Medicare and TennCare beneficiaries. The conspirators submitted claims for payment to Medicare and TennCare for medically unnecessary combinations of controlled substances that they knew were highly sought after and abused.
Weir and Donaldson also pleaded guilty to a kickback scheme that involved Donaldson receiving kickbacks to recruit patients to Dale Hollow Pharmacy. The conspirators also paid patient co-payments and gave patients a fake currency called “Monkey Bucks” that patients could exchange for cash. Weir also paid patients cash in exchange for filling their prescriptions at Dale Hollow Pharmacy that were then billed to Medicare and TennCare.
Weir has agreed as part of his guilty plea to pay $1,419,974.00 in restitution to Medicare and TennCare, and to forfeit properties associated with the pharmacies.
Weir and Spivey will be sentenced on January 5, 2026. Donaldson will be sentenced on January 22, 2026. At sentencing, Weir and Spivey each face a maximum penalty of ten years on the conspiracies to distribute and dispense controlled substances and health care fraud. Donaldson faces a maximum penalty of twenty years on the conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances. Weir and Donaldson each face a maximum of five years on the conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. Weir and Spivey each face a potential fine between $250,000 and $500,000. Donaldson faces a potential fine between $250,000 and $1 million.
This case was investigated by the DEA; the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services-Office of Inspector General; and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; with the assistance of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Celina Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah K. Bogni and Zachary T. Hinkle prosecuted the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Bowden-McIntyre is handling parallel civil litigation.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Use a Weapon of Mass Destruction and Attempting to Destroy an Energy Facility in NashvilleRead the Press Release
Skyler Philippi, 24, of Columbia, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility.
“For months, Philippi planned what he had hoped would be a devastating attack on Nashville’s energy infrastructure. He acquired what he believed to be explosives, surveilled his target, and equipped a drone to attack an electrical substation. Motivated by a violent ideology, Philippi wanted ‘to do something big.’ Instead, the FBI disrupted his plans, and Philippi now awaits sentencing,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division and the FBI will continue to protect our Nation’s critical infrastructure from would-be saboteurs.”
“Our office is fully committed to thwarting dangerous attacks motivated by hate,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “I commend the agents who investigated this conduct and stopped this attack from victimizing our community. I commend the prosecutors who held the defendant accountable for his terrible actions.”
“Skyler Philippi planned to attack an energy facility with a drone containing explosives, which had the potential to knock out power to thousands of American homes and to critical facilities like hospitals,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Through rigorous investigation, his plan was disrupted. Protecting our communities from threats to public safety is a priority for the FBI, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who attempt to damage critical infrastructure and threaten our national security.”
According to court documents, in June 2024, Philippi communicated to a confidential human source (CHS) that he wanted to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA facility located in or around Columbia, Tennessee. In July 2024, Philippi told another CHS about the impact of attacking large interstate substations and said that attacking several substations would “shock the system,” causing other substations to malfunction. Philippi researched previous attacks on electric substations and concluded that attacking with firearms would not be sufficient. Philippi, therefore, planned to use a drone with explosives attached to it and to fly the drone into the substation. Philippi said that his plan was to fly a drone with explosives attached to it into the electric substation, that he preferred to build a drone himself to avoid law enforcement detection, and that he wanted to attach TATP (Triacetone Triperoxide, a high-energy explosive material) or C-4 explosive material to the drone.
In August 2024, Philippi told an undercover employee (UCE) that he had written what he called a “manifesto” outlining his desire to attack “high tax cities or industrial areas to let the kikes lose money,” and about his previous affiliation with Atomwaffen Division and the National Alliance.
In September 2024, Philippi conducted reconnaissance of a specific electric substation. Philippi ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other explosives from the UCEs. Philippi purchased black powder to be used in pipe bombs, which Philippi intended to use during the attack on the substation. Philippi texted: “if you want to do the most damage as an accelerationist, attack high economic, high tax, political zones in every major metropolis.” Referring to the substation, Philippi stated, “Holy sh**. This will go up like a fu**in fourth of July firework.”
On Nov. 2, 2024, Philippi met the undercover employees at a hotel and participated in a Nordic ritual, which included reciting a Nordic prayer and discussing the Norse god Odin. Philippi told the UCEs that “this is where the New Age begins” and that it was “time to do something big” that would be remembered “in the annals of history.” Philippi and the UCEs drove to the operation site. The UCEs moved to their assigned positions as lookouts for Philippi. Law-enforcement agents arrested Philippi. When he was taken into custody, Philippi was at the rear of the vehicle, with the drone powered up, and the explosive device was armed and located next to the drone. Philippi was prepared to attach the explosives to the drone when he was arrested.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2026. Philippi faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Nashville Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Use a Weapon of Mass Destruction and to Destroy an Energy Facility in NashvilleRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Skyler Philippi, 24, of Columbia, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility.
“For months, Philippi planned what he had hoped would be a devastating attack on Nashville’s energy infrastructure. He acquired what he believed to be explosives, surveilled his target, and equipped a drone to attack an electrical substation. Motivated by a violent ideology, Philippi wanted ‘to do something big.’ Instead, the FBI disrupted his plans, and Philippi now awaits sentencing,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division and the FBI will continue to protect our Nation’s critical infrastructure from would-be saboteurs.”
“Our office is fully committed to thwarting dangerous attacks motivated by hate,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “I commend the agents who investigated this conduct and stopped this attack from victimizing our community. I commend the prosecutors who held the defendant accountable for his terrible actions.”
“Skyler Philippi planned to attack an energy facility with a drone containing explosives, which had the potential to knock out power to thousands of American homes and to critical facilities like hospitals,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Through rigorous investigation, his plan was disrupted. Protecting our communities from threats to public safety is a priority for the FBI, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who attempt to damage critical infrastructure and threaten our national security.”
“As he admitted in federal court today, in furtherance of his ideological beliefs, Skyler Philippi conducted extensive research into explosive devices and potential targets to launch an attack against critical infrastructure,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI is committed to doing everything in our ability to detect, disrupt, and deter attacks by domestic violent extremists. It is thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the FBI Nashville Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, and law enforcement partners that Philippi’s plot was detected and stopped.”
According to court documents, in June 2024, Philippi communicated to a Confidential Human Source (CHS) that he wanted to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA facility located in or around Columbia, Tennessee. In July 2024, Philippi told another CHS about the impact of attacking large interstate substations and said that attacking several substations would “shock the system,” causing other substations to malfunction. Philippi researched previous attacks on electric substations and concluded that attacking with firearms would not be sufficient. Philippi, therefore, planned to use a drone with explosives attached to it and to fly the drone into the substation. Philippi said that his plan was to fly a drone with explosives attached to it into the electric substation, that he preferred to build a drone himself to avoid law enforcement detection, and that he wanted to attach TATP (Triacetone Triperoxide, a high-energy explosive material) or C-4 explosive material to the drone.
In August 2024, Philippi told an undercover employee (UCE) that he had written what he called a “manifesto” outlining his desire to attack “high tax cities or industrial areas to let the kikes lose money,” and about his previous affiliation with Atomwaffen Division and the National Alliance.
In September 2024, Philippi conducted reconnaissance of a specific electric substation. Philippi ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other explosives from the UCEs. Philippi purchased black powder to be used in pipe bombs, which Philippi intended to use during the attack on the substation. Philippi texted: “if you want to do the most damage as an accelerationist, attack high economic, high tax, political zones in every major metropolis.” Referring to the substation, Philippi stated, “Holy sh**. This will go up like a fu**in fourth of July firework.”
On Nov. 2, 2024, Philippi met the undercover employees at a hotel and participated in a Nordic ritual, which included reciting a Nordic prayer and discussing the Norse god Odin. Philippi told the UCEs that “this is where the New Age begins” and that it was “time to do something big” that would be remembered “in the annals of history.” Philippi and the UCEs drove to the operation site. The UCEs moved to their assigned positions as lookouts for Philippi. Law-enforcement agents arrested Philippi. When he was taken into custody, Philippi was at the rear of the vehicle, with the drone powered up, and the explosive device was armed and located next to the drone. Philippi was prepared to attach the explosives to the drone when he was arrested.
Philippi will be sentenced on January 8, 2026. At sentencing, Philippi faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Nashville Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
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Murfreesboro Woman Charged with Threat to Murder United States Senator Marsha BlackburnRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Penelope R. Convertino, age 22, of Murfreesboro, has been charged by criminal complaint with making a threat to murder a federal official with the intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Our public officials should be able to do their jobs without receiving vile death threats,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Threatening public officials with deadly violence cannot and will not be tolerated. We will not hesitate to hold those who make these kinds of violent threats accountable for their crimes.”
According to court documents, on Friday, May 30, 2025, a voice message was left on the voicemail for Senator Blackburn’s Nashville satellite Senate office. One of Senator Blackburn’s staff listened to the voicemail the following Monday. In it, the caller said, “My name is mother**ker and I’m gonna kill Marsha Blackburn. I’m gonna shoot her with a gun. I’m gonna blow up her head on national TV. She will literally have brains splattered behind her because she will not be a person. She will be a dead f**king body.”
Convertino was arrested earlier today by FBI agents.
If convicted, Convertino faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office. Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Clarksville Woman Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Child NeglectRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Lyndsey T. Bustamante, 29, of Clarksville, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 11 years and 4 months in federal prison for aggravated child neglect, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“The victim in this case was a two-month-old child who was horribly neglected by the Defendant and barely survived,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “The child is now in a loving home but will face lifelong struggles because of the Defendant’s choices. This case shows that we will not hesitate to prosecute those who hurt children and, if they are convicted, we will seek long sentences in federal prison for them.”
“This sentencing reaffirms our steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Andrew Garasich and his wife, Lyndsey Bustamante, thought that they could act without consequences, but they were wrong. Let this serve as a warning: if you harm children in any way, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will find you and ensure you face the full consequences of your actions.”
“This sentencing marks another significant step towards justice for the victim in this horrific case,” said Special Agent in Charge John McCabe of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Midcentral Field Office. “Army CID remains dedicated to the safety and well-being of our communities.”
On December 30, 2022, Bustamante’s husband Andrew Garasich burned their two-month-old baby by giving him a bath in water that was too hot. Although Bustamante was away from home with her five-year-old son when Garasich burned the baby, Garasich notified her on December 30 about having burned their baby. Neither parent sought medical attention for the baby until January 4, 2023.
When interviewed by the FBI on May 3, 2023, Garasich told Agents he noticed the baby’s butt was “beet red” when he was drying him off after the bath. He reported he noticed some of the baby’s skin was peeling before he left the home with the baby to go to Edible Arrangements to pick up chocolate-covered strawberries for Bustamante. After he returned home with the baby, he began to remove skin from the baby’s body. Garasich told the Agents that when Bustamante came home on December 31, 2022, parts of the baby’s body were already peeling, and Garasich had already pulled some of the baby’s peeling skin off. After Garasich burned the baby in the bath, Bustamante bathed the baby again between December 31 and January 4 and attempted to treat the baby’s burns with soap, diaper rash cream, aloe, and baby ibuprofen. Although Bustamante did not take the baby to the hospital until January 4, 2023, Bustamante sent a Facebook message to a friend on January 1, 2023, about the possibility of taking the baby to the hospital because the baby’s skin was “peeling really bad.” In a Facebook voice memo to this friend, she described using a wet cloth to pick off all the loose skin because the baby “had skin everywhere.” She also texted another friend that the baby’s skin was peeling “really bad” and that she was taking him to the hospital because his skin looked terrible. When that friend later asked about the baby, Bustamante lied and told her that she was at the hospital with the baby.
Finally, on January 4, 2023, the day before the baby was scheduled for a doctor’s visit at the Young Eagle Clinic on Fort Campbell, Bustamante, accompanied by her five-year-old son and a friend, took the baby to Houston County Community Hospital. Garasich did not go with them to the hospital. Medical personnel at Houston County immediately determined that the baby needed to be life flighted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center due to the severity of his injuries and contacted the Erin Police Department, who dispatched officers to the hospital. When the baby was assessed at Vanderbilt, in addition to partial to full thickness burns on the baby’s buttocks, perineum, lower extremities, and left elbow, medical personnel also noted a left parietal skull fracture. The baby remained hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for almost two months before being discharged. Both children are now in the custody of DCS.
Following her term of imprisonment, Bustamante will be on supervised release for 4 years.
Bustamante’s co-defendant, the child’s father Andrew J. Garasich, was sentenced on July 14, 2025, to 14 years in federal prison to be followed by 4 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI Nashville Field Office, Clarksville Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Morrison and Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire prosecuted the case.
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Former Nashville Auto Dealer Convicted on Federal Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –A federal jury convicted Mark Janbakhsh, 49, of Brentwood, Tennessee, of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Bank Fraud, Making False Statements to a Bank, Bankruptcy Fraud, and Making a False Statement Under Oath announced Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Robert E. McGuire.
“Our office will vigorously pursue dedicated fraudsters like the defendant who lie and cheat for their own gain, and we’re not afraid to make our case to a jury to hold them accountable for their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I commend the prosecutors and the federal agents who spent years uncovering this scheme, bringing it to light, and achieving a just result for our community.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, Janbakhsh was the chief executive officer and majority owner of a car dealership company named Auto Masters. Between approximately 2013 and 2017, Auto Masters had a line of credit with Capital One and First Tennessee Bank (now First Horizon Bank). According to the evidence, Janbakhsh conspired with his brother, Ron Janbakhsh, and others in the company to submit false documentation to Capital One to artificially inflate the value of the company’s collateral which would allow Janbakhsh to draw on lines of credit he was otherwise not entitled to take. During the course of the scheme, Auto Masters fraudulently obtained approximately $26.4 million that it was not entitled to receive.
Once bank auditors began to investigate financial discrepancies in Auto Masters’ submissions, the evidence showed that Janbakhsh directed company employees to delete data, emails, and other company information that would have shown his fraudulent dealings. Auto Masters declared bankruptcy in 2017 and, according to the evidence at trial, Janbakhsh lied about the fraud while under oath during the bankruptcy proceedings.
Jurors heard evidence that, once Janbakhsh learned that federal agents who were investigating the fraud were attempting to speak with co-conspirators, he offered one co-conspirator over $300,000 if the person would leave the jurisdiction in order to thwart the investigation.
Janbakhsh will be sentenced later this year. At sentencing, Janbakhsh faces a maximum term of incarceration of 30 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. At sentencing, Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. will also consider ordering forfeiture of Janbakhsh’s property.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn R. Booth and J. Christopher Suedekum prosecuted the case.
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Fort Campbell Soldier Arrested on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –A criminal complaint was unsealed today in the Middle District of Tennessee charging U.S. Army Soldier Robert Cecilio, 39, of Clarksville, Tennessee, with child sexual exploitation offenses, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Cecilio was arrested today by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, from May 1, 2024, to the present, Cecilio has been communicating with at least three minor female victims, using the Snapchat app to get the victims to send him nude photos and videos of themselves. Snapchat records obtained through a search warrant show more than 8,400 contacts, including messages, images and videos, that were exchanged between Cecilio and one of his victims.
Cecilio was detained by Army CID Special Agents and Military Police Officers as he entered Fort Campbell on August 8, 2025. After waiving his Miranda rights, Cecilio stated that he used the Snapchat account that law enforcement had previously searched as well as other Snapchat accounts that include some variation of the name “Gabe” in the account name when communicating with minors. He confessed to having engaged in inappropriate sexual communications with many minor girls for an extended period of time, and that he had received many images and videos of minor females that he understood to be child pornography.
If convicted, Cecilio faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, Clarksville Resident Agency and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Metro Nashville Public Schools Agrees to Settle Allegations It Violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by Discriminating Against Students with Type 1 Diabetes and to Modify Policies for Students with Type 1 DiabetesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – The United States has reached an agreement with Metro Nashville Public Schools (“MNPS” or the “District”) and Ross Early Learning Center (“Ross ELC”) to resolve allegations that they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. MNPS and Ross ELC are alleged to have refused to allow certain communications related to continuous glucose monitoring on behalf of a three-year-old student with Type 1 Diabetes (“T1D”).
“Enforcing federal law on behalf of vulnerable children makes our community stronger,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “This agreement is a win for MNPS students and parents.”
According to the complaint allegations, the complainant parents’ child, who attended Ross ELC at the time of the complaint for much of the 2023-2024 school year and remained an MNPS student through the 2024-25 school year, has T1D and was prescribed a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) by their treating physician to monitor the child’s blood glucose levels. CGMs are approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration to be used without follow-up “finger stick” blood testing. When the child’s blood glucose level is too high or too low, the monitor transmits an alarm from the device to a wireless receiver, such as a smartphone or tablet.
The complainants alleged that they requested the school and school nurse to monitor the CGM while their child is in school or at school-sponsored activities, but Ross ELC refused the request in part, thereby requiring the parents and/or child to be responsible for monitoring the child’s CGM in the afternoons after the school nurse had left the school. Ross ELC also initially told the student’s mother that the parents could provide a device for the school to monitor the child’s CGM, which the parents provided. But Ross ELC later told her that they could no longer use the device provided by the parents and could not communicate with a child’s parents during school about the CGM other than by phone calls or password-protected emails. Following this development, the parents removed the child from Ross ELC for approximately one month due to the school and MNPS communication policy. Afterwards, the parents allowed their child to return to Ross ELC, but only for a half-day in the morning – rather than the full school day – due to Ross ELC’s nurse departing the school after lunch. At different times, the child had experienced dangerously low or high blood glucose levels, resulting in adverse physical effects and requiring the parents’ prompt response by either visiting or calling the school to ensure their child received the requisite care.
As part of the settlement, Ross ELC and MNPS have agreed, consistent with the requirements of the ADA, to ensure that no qualified individual with a disability will, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of the District or be subjected to discrimination by the District. Specifically, Ross ELC and MNPS have agreed to modify the District’s policies, practices and/or procedures to permit the use of CGMs by children diagnosed with T1D who are prescribed such devices by a physician (or an advanced practice provider), to purchase or use existing equipment owned by the District to monitor blood glucose alerts transmitted from CGMs of children with T1D, to provide appropriately trained staff in the MNPS school attended by the complainants’ child with a cellphone or other appropriate device, so that the complainant family may more efficiently communicate with MNPS during school about the child’s CGM, and to modify the District’s policies, practices and/or procedures to ensure that school nurses and other appropriate trained staff members monitor blood glucose alerts transmitted by the CGM of a child with T1D to a dedicated receiver, tablet/smartphone application, or other appropriate technology during the school day and during school-sponsored activities. MNPS also agreed to make all policies and procedures about CGMs available on its website under the “Policies and Procedures” section of its webpage.
MNPS also will pay the complainants $1,000 as part of the resolution.
Assistant United States Attorney Ellen Bowden McIntyre in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee investigated the complaint and negotiated the resolution. MNPS worked collaboratively with the United States Attorney’s Office to resolve this complaint.
The civil claims settled by this resolution are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The ADA was passed on July 26, 1990. The Act reaffirmed our nation’s commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities have the right to live, work, and full participate in the community alongside their fellow citizens.
More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY) and via the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov or through contacting the U.S. Attorney’s civil rights hotline at 313-226-9151. ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected].
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Tennessee Company Pleads Guilty to Illegally Bypassing Waste Treatment and Discharging Industrial Wastes into Nashville Sewer SystemRead the Press Release
Allwaste Onsite, doing business as Onsite Environmental (Onsite Environmental), entered two guilty pleas today in relation to federal Clean Water Act violations. As part of the plea, Onsite Environmental has agreed to pay a fine of $512,000 and serve a three-year term of probation that requires Onsite Environmental to properly treat industrial wastes according to a detailed facility operating plan.
According to court documents, Onsite Environmental operated a facility in Nashville, Tennessee, that treated liquid non-hazardous industrial wastes before discharging them into the sewer. Onsite Environmental had obtained a pretreatment permit from the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Metro) under an approved Clean Water Act pretreatment program. The permit required Onsite Environmental to remove pollutants in the industrial wastes prior to discharging them into the sewer.
However, from Dec. 5-22, 2022, and again from Jan. 4-17, 2023, Onsite Environmental employees knowingly bypassed treatment processes and discharged untreated or partially untreated industrial wastes into the Metro sewer system in direct violation of the pretreatment permit.
U.S. District Court Judge Aleta A. Trauger for the Middle District of Tennessee accepted the guilty pleas. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division and EPA Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Toussaint for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney's Office to Participate in Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee will join their law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities in National Night Out events Nashville on August 5, 2025.
“Our office is proud to stand with both our neighbors and law enforcement as we all work together for a safer community,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I look forward to seeing both our law enforcement partners and the citizens we serve tomorrow night.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
Scheduled Events Include:
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department will be hosting events at the following locations: https://x.com/MNPDNashville/status/1952478011292635176
- Red Caboose Park, 684 Colice Jeanne Road, hosted by the West Precinct from 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
- East Park, 600 Woodland Street, hosted by the East Precinct from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
- Bridgestone Arena Plaza, hosted by the Central Precinct, from 5 p.m.-8 p.m.
- Madison Park, 550 N Dupont Avenue, hosted by the Madison Precinct, from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
- Old Hickory Ball Fields, 1700 Golf Club Drive, Old Hickory, hosted by the Hermitage Precinct, from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
- Church of the Messiah, 88 Lafayette St, hosted by the Hermitage Precinct, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Murfreesboro Police Department, in partnership with the City of Murfreesboro Parks & Recreation Department and JackFM Radio, invites the community to enjoy an evening of food, fellowship, fun, and music at Oaklands Park, 427 Roberts Street, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. National Night Out will feature a Touch-A-Truck event, games, and other activities designed to strengthen the bond between police officers and the community. https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=5190
The Smyrna Police Department is inviting the community to its annual National Night Out event on Tuesday, August 5 at 400 Enon Springs Road East, Smyrna, TN. From 6 to 8 p.m., families can enjoy a fun and interactive evening at the police department, complete with guided tours, officer meet-and-greets, giveaways, and more. https://rutherfordsource.com/smyrna-police-to-host-national-night-out/
The Spring Hill Police Department invites the community to attend the 2025 National Night Out Against Crime on Tuesday, August 5. The free event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Fischer Park, located at 4285 Port Royal Road. https://williamsonsource.com/spring-hill-police-to-host-national-night-out-at-fischer-park/
The Gallatin Police Department is excited to invite the community to join them for National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at 668 Nashville Pike. https://sumnercountysource.com/gallatin-police-to-host-national-night-out/
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Nashville Felon Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Carjacking and Weapons Offenses Committed While He Was on Pre-Trial ReleaseRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Estifanos Kumssa, 26, of Nashville, Tennessee, was sentenced earlier this week to 260 months in federal prison after having previously convicted after a jury trial on two counts of carjacking and two counts of possessing and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“This defendant was already released on bond in state court for a violent crime when he committed more violence, so it was critically important for us to step up to protect our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “This conviction and the serious sentence he received should illustrate our commitment to prosecuting violent offenders to the fullest extent and holding them accountable so they can’t victimize anyone else in our community.”
"The FBI works closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to make sure those bringing violence to our streets are held accountable," said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "We will continue working together to make our communities a safe place to live, work, and raise a family."
“Criminal defendants on pre-trial release who continue to victimize our community must be held accountable,” said Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake. “Our police department and the United States Attorney’s Office are watching closely for those situations, especially violent scenarios, and are working together to take appropriate action whenever possible.”
On May 30, 2019, at approximately 3:25 p.m., an Uber driver (“Victim A”) was parked and smoking a cigarette in a parking lot in Antioch, Tennessee, as he waited for his next call to pick-up a passenger. Shortly after he parked, Kumssa and an accomplice approached Victim A’s car, Kumssa banged on the window with a pink and black handgun and demanded money. When Victim A replied that he did not have any money, Kumssa shoved his gun through the cracked window, took Victim A’s wallet, and demanded that Victim A get out of his car. Kumssa then got into the driver’s seat, unlocked the passenger door so his accomplice could get in, and fled the scene in Victim A’s car. Victim A later positively identified Kumssa as the person who shoved the gun through his window during the carjacking. Surveillance video from businesses in the area of the carjacking also showed Kumssa wearing a distinctive sweatshirt which he was still wearing when he was arrested.
Less than six hours after the first carjacking, 911 operators were alerted to another carjacking at 2510 Murfreesboro Pike. There were two victims of this second carjacking, the owner of the vehicle (“Victim B”), who was cleaning a business at the time of the carjacking, and a second victim (“Victim C”) who sitting in the vehicle waiting for Victim B when Kumssa and his unidentified accomplice approached it. Victim C, who later positively identified the defendant, stated that Kumssa approached him with a pistol drawn, demanded the keys, and ordered Victim C to get out of the vehicle. Kumssa and his accomplice then got in the vehicle and fled the parking lot. A be-on-the-lookout (“BOLO”) alert was issued for the vehicle and an MNPD patrol officer observed the vehicle in a parking lot in the vicinity of Bell Forge Road and Bell Road, just 2.4 miles from the site of carjacking. MNPD officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the stolen vehicle, but it fled north along Bell Road where it was stopped by using spike strips. MNPD officers caught Kumssa after a short foot pursuit and recovered a distinctive pink and black firearm in the path of his flight from the vehicle.
Before these carjackings, Kumssa had been convicted of three state felonies: (1) two counts of auto burglary from events that took place in September 2017; and (2) a carjacking that occurred in January 2018. The jury in the federal case convicted Kumssa of two counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, the jury acquitted Kumssa of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the time he committed these carjackings, Kumssa was on pre-trial release on an Especially Aggravated Robbery indictment in Davidson County Circuit Court.
Following his term of imprisonment, Kumssa will be on supervised release for three years.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Petro and Joshua Kurtzman prosecuted the case.
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Athens, Georgia, Woman Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking and Threat OffensesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –Gabryele “Gabby” Watson, 29, pled guilty today to four counts of cyberstalking, two counts of interstate transmission of threats to kidnap or injure, and two counts of unlawful use of a means of identification, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“The defendant’s callous actions and complete disregard for the families she victimized was not only disturbing, it was also a violation of federal law,” said Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney. “We will aggressively seek to vindicate the rights of caring people who simply wanted to adopt, love and raise a baby and, instead, were heartlessly victimized by the defendant.”
“The devastating effects of cyberstalking cannot be understated, and I hope the victims can find some closure to the nightmares they endured during Gabby Watson’s relentless reign of harassment,” said Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This plea is the result of the hard work of motivated agents and analysts. The FBI will continue to protect the community from those who try to commit similar scams.”
From May to June 2023, Watson cyberstalked a married couple living in the Middle District of Tennessee, who had been trying to adopt a baby for eight years. She assumed the identity of a real 16-year-old in Pennsylvania who was pregnant (Minor Victim 1), obtaining accurate details about Minor Victim 1 and her pregnancy from Minor Victim 1’s social media posts. These included Minor Victim 1’s full name and nickname, her date of birth, her home state, the full name and nickname of Minor Victim 1’s teenaged boyfriend, who was also the baby’s father (Individual A), and details about, and photographs and video recordings depicting, Minor Victim 1’s pregnancy. She obtained photographs and video recordings of Minor Victim 1 and Individual A, including a series of “baby bump” photographs and videos of Minor Victim 1 displaying her pregnant belly at various stages of development. She also obtained sonogram photographs and videos of Minor Victim 1 and Individual A’s unborn baby at various stages of development. Over the next several months, as Minor Victim 1 posted new content on her social media accounts, Watson copied that new content for continued use in her scheme.
Posing as Minor Victim 1 and using Minor Victim 1’s real nickname, Watson contacted Victim One online, initially through her social media adoption page and then later through spoofed text messages, spoofed voice phone calls, and e-mail messages using an account the defendant created in Minor Victim 1’s name. In their early conversations, the defendant claimed that she was 16 years old, was facing an unplanned pregnancy, and wanted to give her baby up for adoption. She shared detailed information about her (really, Minor Victim 1) life and elicited similar personal information from Victim One. Watson shared photographs of sonographs of Minor Victim 1’s unborn baby, and repeatedly assured Victim One and Victim Two (Victim One’s husband) that they were going to adopt her baby and encouraged them to share their good news with others. Over time, Watson began to demand that Victims One and Two be available at all hours to respond to her frequent communications and that they purchase baby-related gear and maternity clothing. Watson also repeatedly threatened to cancel the adoption, claimed that “her” baby suffered from various life-threatening health emergencies, and pretended to being stalked and to have disappeared from home. Watson also threatened to abort or injure the unborn baby or to commit suicide while pregnant. Finally, she threatened to kill Victims One and Two.
Watson engaged in the same disturbing conduct with Victims Three and Four, another married couple living in the Middle District of Tennessee, when she pretended to be a pregnant 18-year-old living in Arkansas (Victim Five). This time, Watson pretended to be pregnant with high-risk twins. She also communicated on speaker phone with Victim Three and Four’s two young sons and encouraged them to be excited about the adoption. She made similar claims about “her” unborn babies’ health, was verbally abusive to Victim Three, and threatened to kill Victims Three and Four and their children.
Watson is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2026. She faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000, for each of the eight counts in the second superseding indictment. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison is prosecuting the case with the assistance of the Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCPIS).
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Nashville Hotel Agrees to Settle Allegations It Violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by Discriminating Against a Guest with a Service AnimalRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – The United States has reached an agreement with Knights Inn Nashville, located at 99 Spring Street, Nashville, Tennessee, to resolve allegations that Knights Inn Nashville violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. Knights Inn Nashville is alleged to have refused to allow a family with a service animal stay in the hotel because it was against hotel policy.
“Service animals are vital to the health and welfare of people in our community who need them,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “This settlement shows that we will vigorously enforce the law to make sure that Tennesseans have equal access to facilities and not be barred because of challenges they may face.”
According to the settlement agreement, the Complainant is an individual with a disability who reserved a room at the Knights Inn Nashville for the night of August 15, 2024, and noted in the reservation that they would be bringing a service animal. When the Complainant’s husband attempted to check in to the hotel, hotel staff argued with him for about 10 minutes, telling him that his family could not stay in the hotel with a service animal because it was against hotel policy. Complainant explained to the hotel staff that it is against federal and state law to deny them a room because of their service animal. Only after this public dispute and having Complainant print her service animal’s registration (which is not required under the ADA), did the hotel staff allow Complainant and her family to stay in the hotel.
The ADA prohibits public accommodations from discriminating against an individual on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of its goods, services, privileges, advantages, or accommodations, and requires public accommodations to take those steps and make reasonable modifications that may be necessary to ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated or otherwise treated differently than other individuals because they have a service animal.
As part of the settlement, Knights Inn Nashville has agreed to post a large sign in a conspicuous area of the hotel accessible by the public that reads, “Service Animals Welcome.” The owner of the hotel also will establish and implement a written policy specifically addressing the provision of services to individuals with disabilities who require a service animal for all hotels that he owns, including the Knights Inn Nashville, and to provide ADA training to all hotel staff who will make guest reservations or have contact with guests.
Knights Inn Nashville will pay the Complainant $4,000 as part of the settlement and will pay a civil penalty to the United States in the amount of $2,000 to vindicate the public interest.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Veirs and Ellen Bowden McIntyre in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee investigated the complaint and negotiated the Settlement Agreement.
The civil claims settled by this resolution are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the ADA, which was passed on July 26, 1990. The Act reaffirmed our nation’s commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities have the right to live, work, and fully participate in the community alongside their fellow citizens.
More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY) and via the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov or through contacting the U.S. Attorney’s civil rights hotline at 313-226-9151. ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected].
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Former U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Child NeglectRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Andrew J. Garasich, 29, of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for aggravated child neglect, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“The victim in this case was a two-month-old child who was horribly neglected by the Defendant and barely survived,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “The child is now in a loving home but will face lifelong struggles because of the Defendant’s choices. This case shows that we will not hesitate to prosecute those who hurt children and, if they are convicted, we will seek long sentences in federal prison for them.”
“This sentencing is a result of the unwavering commitment of the FBI and our justice system to protect the most vulnerable members of our community—our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “There is no place in our community for those who harm children, and we will do everything we can to find and punish those who engage in this repugnant activity and seek justice for victims.”
“This case highlights the strong partnership between Army CID, the FBI, and the Department of Justice,” said Special Agent in Charge John McCabe of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Midcentral Field Office. “This sentencing reflects our dedication to justice for this young victim and sends a clear message that child abuse will not be tolerated within our ranks or in our communities."
Garasich, a former sergeant (E-5) in the United States Army stationed on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was a father of a two-month-old baby when, on December 30, 2022, Garasich severely burned his baby by bathing him in water so hot that the baby’s skin peeled off his body. The two-month-old baby did not receive medical treatment for five days after the bath. When the baby was finally taken to Houston County Community Hospital for medical treatment, Garasich did not accompany the baby to the hospital. Medical personnel immediately arranged for the baby to be life flighted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center due to the severity of his injuries, and they contacted the Erin, Tennessee, Police Department, which dispatched officers to the hospital to speak with witnesses about how the baby was injured. When the baby was assessed at Vanderbilt, in addition to partial to full thickness burns on the baby’s buttocks, perineum, lower extremities, and left elbow, medical personnel also noted a left parietal skull fracture.
Although Garasich does not have any prior criminal convictions, he has a prior case with the Department of Children’s Services involving another child in 2019.
Following his term of imprisonment, Garasich will be on supervised release for 4 years.
Garasich’s co-defendant, the child’s mother, will be sentenced on August 5, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI Nashville Field Office, Clarksville Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Morrison and Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire prosecuted the case.
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Overton County Agrees to Settle Allegations It Violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by Discriminating During Public Meetings Against Residents with Hearing ImpairmentsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – The United States has reached an agreement with Overton County, Tennessee, to resolve allegations that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. Overton County is alleged to have ignored requests for hearing assistance during public meetings.
According to the complaint’s allegations, the complaints alleged that they requested auxiliary aids and services from Overton County with regard to hearing assistance during various county public meetings, including its Budget Committee and county legislative body meetings. The complainants alleged that they could not hear during public meetings and informed the county of these problems. The complainants alleged that Overton County ignored these requests, refused to use microphones in the spaces designated for its public meetings, and told the complainants that they could sit closer to the county commissioners if they had hearing issues. During a public meeting, a county commissioner offered to provide equipment for certain audio/listening upgrades to the spaces in which public meetings were held, but the county rejected this proposal. As a result, the complainants were not able to fully participate in public meetings.
As part of the settlement, Overton County agrees that the modifications sought by the complainants did not fundamentally alter the nature of public meetings, and that providing auxiliary aids and services so individuals with disabilities can participate fully in public meetings does not constitute an undue burden or fundamental alteration to the nature of the meetings. Overton County will take steps to furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services to ensure that communications with participants with disabilities are as effective as communications with others, including upgrading the audio and amplification systems in the public Chancery courtroom in which its county legislative body meetings are held, installing assistive listening systems in any space in which it conducts public business, and ensuring that any space in which it conducts public business will be assessed for upgrading microphones so that individuals with disabilities can fully participate in public proceedings conducted in those other public spaces. The county also will implement a process by which an individual with a qualifying disability can request an auxiliary aid, service, or reasonable modification that will ensure that individual can fully participate in any public meeting.
Assistant United States Attorney Ellen Bowden McIntyre in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee investigated the complaint and negotiated the Settlement Agreement. Overton County worked collaboratively with the United States Attorney’s Office to resolve this complaint.
The civil claims settled by this resolution are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The ADA was passed on July 26, 1990. The Act reaffirmed our nation’s commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities have the right to live, work, and full participate in the community alongside their fellow citizens.
More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY) and via the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov or through contacting the U.S. Attorney’s civil rights hotline at 313-226-9151. ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected].
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Franklin Resident Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison on Multiple Cyber Stalking ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –McKenzie McClure a/k/a Kalvin McClure, 31, of Franklin, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in federal prison for cyberstalking fourteen victims, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Our office and our law enforcement partners will do whatever it takes to keep children safe from harm and hold those who would threaten our school communities accountable for their actions,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “This prosecution, culminating in yesterday's sentence, should send a strong message that this type of conduct is intolerable in our community and will be pursued aggressively in order to keep our children protected.”
“McClure’s relentless cyberstalking disrupted many lives, incited fear, and posed significant risks to the Christ Presbyterian Academy and Christ Presbyterian Church community,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “As demonstrated in this case, those who target innocent lives and threaten violence will be held accountable for their actions. I hope the victims can find some closure to the nightmares they endured during McClure’s reign of harassment.”
"Making threats against a school is serious,” said Gregory Mays, Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. “This case shows how law enforcement and school leaders work together to protect students. It also reflects our strong commitment to keeping Tennesseans safe.”
On March 24, 2024, the eve of the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at The Covenant School – the deadliest school shooting in Tennessee history – the defendant left a threatening voicemail on the main telephone line at Christ Presbyterian Academy (“CPA”). The defendant’s tone on the voicemail alternated between displaying an angry, menacing, and disturbed mindset, and a clear fixation on CPA and individuals affiliated with it. In the voicemail, the defendant referenced several acts of terror, as well as a fictional terror attack from the movie “Deadpool 2.” Immediately after mentioning the movie Deadpool 2, the defendant followed up with the phrase “killed by my hand type of stuff” and said the school would “know exactly what [the defendant was] talking about.
The defendant’s voicemail was consistent with social media activity on the defendant’s X (formerly Twitter) account which regularly referenced CPA, Christ Presbyterian Church (“CPC”), individuals associated with CPA and CPC, and were intertwined with other posts referencing school violence, gun violence, and other violent events. On February 25, 2024, the defendant posted a video that she filmed of herself walking the exterior of the CPA/CPC campus while talking about watching the school burn on 9/11 and alluded to the consequences of ignoring “credible terroristic threats” like “George W” did on 9/11. CPA’s surveillance cameras captured additional conduct by the defendant while on campus, including the defendant attempting to access locked buildings, photographing maps of the school grounds, walking the entirety of CPA’s campus for approximately one hour, and, in actions the victims later testified were concerning, she extended both middle fingers and spun around while standing on the CPA crest.
After listening to the voicemail, CPA officials discovered the defendant’s identity, reviewed her troubling social media and CPA’s surveillance video, and recognized the similarities between the defendant’s fixation on CPA and Hale’s fixation on Covenant. CPA officials notified law enforcement about the defendant’s conduct and closed the school on Monday, March 25, 2024.
Law enforcement officers responded to the threat to CPA and encountered the defendant on that Monday, which led to the defendant being hospitalized and receiving mental health treatment. As the defendant prepared to leave the hospital, agents cautioned her to discontinue posting about CPA and CPC on social media, explaining that her actions had frightened the CPA community. The defendant acknowledged that she understood the impact of her previous actions and agreed that she would not engage in such behavior upon being discharged from the hospital. However, following her release on April 3, 2024, the defendant immediately resumed posting messages on her X account that targeted CPA, CPC, and individuals associated with CPA and CPC, and continued to do so until her arrest at the end of April. Even though law enforcement officers repeatedly cautioned the defendant about her unrelenting social media campaign targeting CPA/CPC, she expressed no remorse for her criminal conduct.
As a result of the defendant’s conduct, CPA spent more than $140,000 on increased security measures to ensure the safety of its administration, faculty, staff, students, and families.
Following her term of imprisonment, the defendant will be on supervised release for 3 years. The Court also ordered that McClure have no communication with persons associated with CPA/CPC and their families without express prior approval by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, and that McClure is not to travel within 5 miles of the CPA/CPC campus or associated campuses.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, and the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katy Risinger and Joshua Kurtzman prosecuted the case.
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Nashville Felon on Bond for Drug and Firearms Offenses Federally Charged with Firearm and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Darryl Deshaun Humphrey, 49, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Our Bond Watch program prioritizes keeping felons who are on bond for serious offenses but get caught with guns and deadly drugs like fentanyl off the streets of our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Those on bond awaiting trial need to know that if they continue to violate the law we will hold them accountable for their crimes and keep our citizens safe from their dangerous and illegal activity.”
According to court documents, on June 19, 2025, Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers conducted a traffic stop, which resulted in Humphrey’s arrest. Uniformed patrol officers were conducting routine patrol and enforcement operations in the area of Whites Creek Pike and W. Trinity Lane in Nashville. The officers saw Humphrey standing outside the driver side door of a Cadillac Escalade in a gas station parking lot, ran the Escalade’s license plate tag through law enforcement databases and learned that Humphrey, the registered owner, had a suspended driver’s license. The officers saw Humphrey drive the Escalade out of the parking lot traveling north on Whites Creek Pike and initiated a traffic stop on the Escalade based on the driver’s license violation. The Escalade came to a stop, and officers saw Humphrey move from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat. Humphrey got out of the Escalade on the passenger side, walked around the Escalade, and told the officers that he was not driving. Officers advised Humphrey of the violation and why they stopped him and told him to stop walking. Humphrey ignored the officers’ commands and took a fighting stance at which time an officer utilized his department-issued taser to subdue and arrest Humphrey.
From outside of the Escalade, officers observed on the driver seat floorboard a large plastic bag that contained a white rocky substance that the officer immediately recognized to be consistent with controlled substances. Additionally, there was a firearm on the driver’s seat. A query of law enforcement databases showed Humphrey was a previously convicted felon. Officers conducted a search of the Escalade and located two large plastic bags containing a controlled substance that field tested positive for fentanyl: the first bag contained approximately 257 grams and the second contained approximately 378.9 grams. Officers recovered another second plastic bag with approximately 1.27 pounds of suspected cocaine which field tested positive, a box of empty plastic baggies, five digital scales, and approximately $18,600 in U.S. Currency. Additionally, multiple tablets and/or pills were located which were identified as various controlled substances. Officers also seized a Ruger, Caliber: 9x19mm pistol and a Caspian, Caliber: .45 ACP pistol.
Humphrey has multiple prior felony convictions in state and federal courts. His felony convictions in Davidson County Criminal Court include Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, for which he received a two-year sentence, and two convictions for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substance – Cocaine .5grams or more, for which he received an eight-year sentence and a six-year sentence. Humphrey also was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, for which he received a 10-year sentence. At the time of his arrest, Humphrey was on bond for Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 26 grams of cocaine, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Evading Arrest, and Resisting Arrest, from a June 2023 arrest in Davidson County.
If convicted, Humphrey faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge, up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine on the drug charge, and 5 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime charge.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Franklin Driver's Education Company Agrees to Settle Allegations It Violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by Discriminating Against a Hearing-Impaired StudentRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – The United States has reached an agreement with Spanky’s Driving Academy, Inc., located at 120 Holiday Court, Suite 5, Franklin, Tennessee, and its owner Chris Medina (collectively, the “Academy”) to resolve allegations that the Academy violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. The Academy is alleged to have had impermissible eligibility criteria and failed to provide an auxiliary aid or service where necessary to provide effective communication to a person with a disability.
“This settlement shows that the Department of Justice is committed to assisting those with disabilities in having equal access to services offered in our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Not only is it inappropriate to stereotype members of our community who are deaf or hearing impaired, it is against federal law to discriminate against them when it comes to offering services such as drivers education classes and lessons.”
According to the settlement agreement, the Complainant is a parent of a minor child who had registered their child to attend the Academy’s series of driver’s education sessions and driving lessons starting in September 2024. The child is now deaf and was hearing impaired at the time of the incident and had (and still has) a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other ear. The Complainant alleged that in August and September 2024, the Academy had impermissible eligibility criteria and failed to provide an auxiliary aid or service where necessary to provide effective communication to the minor. At the time of the incident, the minor was hearing impaired and relied upon American Sign Language as their primary means of communication during high school. After the Complainant had registered their child to attend the Academy’s series of driver’s education sessions and driving lessons, the Complainant emailed Chis Medina and stated that the minor is hard of hearing and uses a sign language interpreter at school. The Complainant asked Chris Medina to assist the minor with effective communication. The Complainant ultimately provided a method for the Academy to use to allow their child to effectively communicate and participate in the classes, but Chris Medina allegedly refused to use it during class. The Complainant further alleges that Chris Medina declined to conduct the in-car driving component of the class, based on myths, fears, and stereotypes about persons with hearing impairments. As a result of not having effective communication, the Complainant alleges that that they withdrew their child from the Academy’s class.
The ADA prohibits public accommodations from discriminating against an individual on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of its goods, services, privileges, advantages, or accommodations, and requires public accommodations to take those steps and make reasonable modifications that may be necessary to ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated or otherwise treated differently than other individuals because of the absence of auxiliary aids and services, unless the public accommodation can demonstrate that taking those steps or making reasonable modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of its goods and services or would result in an undue burden. The ADA also prohibits public accommodations from discriminating against an individual on the basis of disability by imposing eligibility criteria that screen out an individual with a disability from fully and equally enjoying any goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations, unless such criteria can be shown to be necessary for the provision of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations being offered.
As part of the settlement, the Academy has agreed to not discriminate against any individual, including students, on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the Academy’s goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations by excluding or providing unequal treatment to persons with disabilities. The Academy will provide to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing reasonable modifications and appropriate auxiliary aids and services, where necessary, to ensure effective communication unless it can demonstrate that taking the steps would result in a fundamental alteration to the nature of its goods and services or would result in an undue burden.
The Academy also will pay the Complainant $4,000 as part of the settlement and will pay a civil penalty to the United States in the amount of $2,000 to vindicate the public interest.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Veirs and Ellen Bowden McIntyre in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee investigated the complaint and negotiated the Settlement Agreement.
The civil claims settled by this resolution are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The ADA was passed on July 26, 1990. The Act reaffirmed our nation’s commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities have the right to live, work, and fully participate in the community alongside their fellow citizens.
More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY) and via the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov or through contacting the U.S. Attorney’s civil rights hotline at 313-226-9151. ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected].
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Hendersonville Doctor and Her Office Manager Husband Indicted as Part of the Department of Justice's 2025 National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Today, Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee announced criminal charges against two defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield for inpatient hospital services that were never provided. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“Our office will vigorously pursue those who would defraud American taxpayers by these illegal health care fraud schemes,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “The charges announced today are just our latest effort to crack down on health care fraud in the nation’s health care capital. Nashville is a great place for honest health care business and a terrible place for those who would commit health care fraud.”
“Today’s record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown sends a crystal-clear message to criminal actors, both foreign and domestic, intent on preying upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced today by Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15.6 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. In connection with the Takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
The following individuals were charged in the Middle District of Tennessee:
Xuhan Zhang a/k/a “Shelia Zhang” a/k/a “Xuhan Mei,” 62, and Jing Qi Mei, 65, both of Hendersonville, Tennessee, were charged by indictment with a conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, false statements related to health care, aggravated identity theft, a money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield for inpatient hospital services purportedly provided by Zhang, a medical doctor, and billed by Mei between 2017 and 2025. The inpatient physician services were never provided, including because the hospital closed, the patients were actually in nursing homes, and in many instances, the patients were deceased. The defendants billed for services that exceeded twenty-four hours in a day. In connection with the scheme, Zhang and Mei submitted to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield approximately $20 million in fraudulent claims of which approximately $6.5 million were paid. The Asset Forfeiture Unit seized approximately $6,000,000 in proceeds from bank accounts, and a Tesla CyberTruck. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Robert Levine and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Bogni, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Toussaint is handling asset forfeiture.
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.
Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The Middle District of Tennessee, in particular, worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) to investigate and prosecute this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lab Owner, Marketing Company Owner, and Doctor All Sentenced in Multi-Million Dollar Medicare and Medicaid Kickback ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Fadel Alshalabi, 57, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, Samuel Harris, 30, of American Fork, Utah, and Benjamin Toh, M.D., 71, of Chicago, Illinois, have each been sentenced after two separate trials for their roles in a multi-million, multi-state Medicare and Medicaid conspiracy to pay and receive illegal kickbacks, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Alshalabi was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and money laundering. He was the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Crestar Labs, LLC (“Crestar Labs”), based in Spring Hill, Tennessee, which operated laboratories in Texas, Maryland, and Tennessee.
Harris was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute. He was the owner of Flojo Recruiting d/b/a Secure Health, a Utah-based marketing company that contracted with Crestar Labs.
Toh was sentenced to 13 months in prison for conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. He was a doctor in Chicago who purported to see patients through “telemedicine” companies and signed orders for laboratory tests that Crestar Labs used to bill Medicare and Medicaid.
“Those involved in health care schemes, motivated by greed and designed entirely to bilk the American taxpayers, should face substantial sentences in prison,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I congratulate the hard-working prosecutors and agents who devoted countless hours to hold these defendants accountable after lengthy trials. We will not be deterred from pursuing individuals like these defendants, who executed a national scheme that exploited the elderly and vulnerable and depleted taxpayer dollars.”
“Paying kickbacks for referrals for medical services involving federal healthcare programs is illegal and can cause the delivery of unnecessary medical services and put patients’ wellbeing and health at risk,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These sentencings demonstrate the commitment of HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners to hold those who exploit these programs accountable.”
“Health care fraud impacts individuals, businesses, and the overall healthcare system,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This sentencing demonstrates the tenacity of the FBI and our partners to pursue anyone who conspires to exploit Medicare and Medicaid for financial gain.”
According to the evidence presented at the two trials in this matter, Alshalabi, Harris, and their co-conspirators, including six other individuals who were charged and pled guilty in the same case, entered into sham contracts and paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for laboratory genetic tests. The marketing companies targeted and recruited elderly and low-income patients who were federal health care program beneficiaries at senior health fairs, through door-to-door marketing, and in low-income neighborhoods to obtain their genetic material for conducting genetic tests. The tests were then approved by purported telemedicine doctors, like Dr. Toh, who were paid kickbacks in exchange for signing off on the laboratory orders sent to Crestar Labs. Toh signed orders for hundreds of patients who he did not know and never contacted. He received $20 per order.
Alshalabi, through Crestar Labs and the other laboratories it operated, then billed Medicare and Medicaid for the tests, often claiming reimbursement of more than $10,000 per test. During the conspiracy, Alshalabi and his co-conspirators billed over $129 million for laboratory tests and were paid over $35 million. Of claims submitted to Medicare and Medicaid, over $6 million were based on samples obtained by Harris and over $9 million were based on orders signed by Dr. Toh. Once paid, Alshalabi paid kickbacks to the marketing companies in exchange for the referrals. Alshalabi, through Crestar Labs, paid over $12 million in illegal kickbacks and bribes.
The laboratory tests were run, but as patients testified at trial, many never received the test results at all. Those who did receive the results often did not understand them, and the doctors who ordered the tests, like Dr. Toh, never followed up with them.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Alshalabi was sentenced to a term of supervised release of three years, and Harris and Toh each received one year of supervised release. Restitution for Alshalabi and Harris will be determined at a later hearing. Dr. Toh was ordered to pay $495,000 in restitution.
Six co-defendants named in the same indictment charging Alshalabi and Harris previously pled guilty before trial. They were: Edward D. Klapp of Jupiter, Florida, the former Vice President of Sales for Crestar Labs; Melissa L. Chastain of Belton, South Carolina, the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Genetix LLC, a South Carolina marketing company that contracted with Crestar Labs; Roger Allison of Greenville, South Carolina, the President of Genetix; Dakota White of Easley, South Carolina, the former Director of Client Services and Vice President of Operations for Crestar Labs; Robert Alan Richardson of Silver Spring, Maryland, a principal of Maryland based Freedom Medical Labs, LLC, a marketing company that contracted with Crestar Labs; and Edward Burch of Rockville, Maryland, also a principal of Freedom Medical Labs, LLC. Each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. They all face up to 10 years in federal prison on the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and up to 5 years on the conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. They will be sentenced at a later date.
Elizabeth H. Turner, of Glenview, Kentucky, the owner of Advanced Tele-Genetic Counseling, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. She will be sentenced at a later date.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, with the assistance of state partners including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
United States v. Alshalabi and Harris is docketed at Case No. 3:21-cr-00171.
United States v. Benjamin Toh is docketed at Case No. 3:22-cr-00392.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah K. Bogni and Robert S. Levine prosecuted the cases.
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Man Brandishing Firearm at "No Kings" Protesters Charged with Federal Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Elijah Millar, 19, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was federally charged on Friday, June 20, with the unlawful possession of a firearm, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to court documents, Millar went to a “No Kings” protest near Bicentennial Mall in downtown Nashville on June 14, 2025. Millar was dressed in all black, wearing a mask, and was, according to witnesses, carrying a firearm. Witnesses reported to law enforcement that Millar told the protestors that he had a firearm, spat at them, yelled at them, and brandished the firearm. Officers with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) then approached Millar, disarmed him, and arrested him. According to court documents, MNPD seized a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from Millar at the time. Days later, officers of the Murfreesboro Police Department encountered Millar and recovered another loaded 9mm firearm from his waistband.
According to the federal criminal complaint, in 2023, the Chancery Court in Rutherford County, Tennessee entered an Order appointing an emergency conservator for Millar finding that he was “at risk of substantial harm to his health, safety, and welfare” and prohibiting him from receiving or possessing a firearm. In September 2024, a Chancery Court Judge in Rutherford County issued an “Agreed Order of Limited Conservatorship” for Millar finding him to be a “disabled person needing care” and significantly restricting his access to firearms.
“The right to peaceably protest government action is guaranteed by the First Amendment and cannot be infringed upon by armed individuals whose actions put people in danger,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Our efforts to hold firearm offenders accountable are designed to keep all members of the public safe from potential violence.”
If convicted, Millar faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, and the Murfreesboro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Kurtzman and Kathryn Risinger are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Franklin Soccer Coach Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation and Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Camilo Campos-Hurtado, 65, of Franklin, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receiving visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, one count of using or possessing fraudulent immigration documents, and one count of possessing an identification document or authentication feature which was stolen or produced without lawful authority, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Campos preyed on children in our community for years, using his position to gain the trust of his victims only to betray them by sexually abusing them,” said Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Protecting children in our community and holding child sex offenders to maximum accountability is among the highest priorities of our office and of the Department of Justice. At sentencing we will seek to guarantee that Campos does not have any chance to hurt another child.”
When law enforcement officers executed multiple search warrants, they discovered child pornography and numerous counterfeit identification and immigration documents. Campos possessed a cell phone and multiple other electronic devices that contained countless images of child sexual abuse material that he received, downloaded and produced between 2017 and 2021.
When he is sentenced on October 29, 2025, Campos-Hurtado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Campos does not have legal status in the United States, and he will be deported to Mexico after he serves his federal and state sentences.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Franklin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Kathryn Risinger are prosecuting the case.
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Mid-State Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal Prison for Million Dollar Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Gregory Michael Vogel a/k/a Gregory Michael Schneider, 52, formerly of Hendersonville, Tenn. and Gallatin, Tenn., was sentenced yesterday to 51 months in federal prison after having previously pleaded guilty to eight counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering for carrying out an investment scheme that defrauded investors of over one million dollars, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Our office will continue to vigorously pursue fraud and prosecute fraudsters like Vogel in order to vindicate the victims of their schemes,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Prison sentences like this one send a clear message to fraudsters: we will not tolerate those who pray on victims to steal their money. We will find you, we will stop you, and we will hold you accountable.”
“We are committed to unraveling intricate financial transactions and money laundering schemes where individuals attempt to conceal the original source of their money,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents will continue to use their financial expertise to find and investigate allegations of investor fraud schemes alongside our law enforcement partners.”
According to court documents, between April 2015 and May 2019, Vogel devised a scheme to defraud victims whom he had solicited to invest money with his company in foreign currency exchange websites and software (“forex websites”). Vogel claimed that these forex websites would generate substantial revenue, providing investors with thousands of dollars in monthly profits, and that they would eventually being sold to a third party, so that Vogel and the investors both could realize an even greater return on the investment.
Vogel induced victims to make investments in the forex websites by making false representations about the investments, his management of the forex websites, and the actual ownership structure of the forex websites. Vogel also concealed material information from victims, including information about his background and investment history and his breaches of promises and contractual provisions to investors.
Some of the concealed material information included that Vogel, under his prior name of Gregory Michael Schneider, had been sued by prior investors for a different investment offering and was found liable for committing fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and conversion, among other acts. As a result of that lawsuit, Vogel was permanently enjoined from soliciting or providing any business investments or investment advice in the future. Vogel had also been sued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and entered into a consent order in which he was permanently enjoined from trading or participating in certain transactions supervised by the CFTC.
Following his term of incarceration, Vogel will be on supervised release for 3 years. Vogel is also subject to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $1,177,540 for Counts One through Eight, and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $120,000 for Count Nine.
This case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Suedekum prosecuted the case.
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Former Tennessee State Representative and His Chief of Staff Convicted of Bribery and Kickback ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –After a three-week trial,former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada, 64, and his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren, 38, of Nashville, were found guilty today by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit theft from programs receiving federal funds; bribery and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; honest services wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering; using a fictitious name to carry out a fraud; theft concerning programs receiving federal funds; eight counts of money laundering; and two counts of bribery and kickbacks, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Cothren was also found guilty on six counts of honest services wire fraud, and Casada was found guilty on four counts of honest services wire fraud and acquitted on two counts.
“Tennesseans have a right to expect honest services from their elected leaders and their staffs,” said McGuire. “Our office will continue to pursue justice on behalf of our community in cases involving public corruption and fraud committed by elected officials or their staffs. We believe that Tennesseans deserve no less.”
“Elected officials and their staff members have a duty to act honestly and ethically when serving the public,” said Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Using public office for personal gain is a crime and the FBI is committed to holding those who abuse power accountable and protecting public resources.”
According to evidence presented at trial, beginning in late 2019, Casada, while representing Tennessee House District 63, Cothren, and former Tennessee State Representative Robin Smith, 61, of Hixson, Tennessee, engaged in a fraudulent scheme to enrich themselves by exploiting Casada and Smith’s official positions as legislators to obtain funds from the State of Tennessee. Specifically, the conspirators deceived their former colleagues and officials at the State of Tennessee in an effort to obtain State funds for Phoenix Solutions, Cothren’s political consulting business. In exchange for recruiting legislators and securing the approval of Phoenix Solutions’ invoices by the State, Cothren paid kickbacks to Casada and Smith.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud in 2022 and testified at trial.
The evidence showed that Cothren pretended to be “Matthew Phoenix,” supposedly an experienced political consultant who had previously worked for a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm. In fact, Cothren operated Phoenix Solutions, and Casada, Cothren, and Smith knew that “Matthew Phoenix” was a fictitious person. Casada, Cothren, and Smith concealed their involvement in Phoenix Solutions by submitting invoices to the State of Tennessee in the names of political consulting companies owned by Casada and Smith, for the purpose of secretly funneling money from the State to Phoenix Solutions through the bank accounts of these companies. In 2020, these companies and Phoenix Solutions received approximately $51,947 from the State in payments associated with the mailer program. Phoenix Solutions also obtained more than $170,000 in payments from political organizations, campaigns, and candidates.
Casada and Cothren will be sentenced later this year, and each face up to 20 years in prison. Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Casada, Cothren, and Smith may also be ordered to forfeit any property which represents or is traceable to receipts obtained as a result of the offenses.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Nashville Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor J. Phillips and Trial Attorneys John P. Taddei and Blake J. Ellison of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
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Nashville Man on Probation Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm After Allegedly Shooting at PoliceRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Emmanuel Orr, 18, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“We will not stand for violence against our citizens or our men and women in law enforcement,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Those convicted of violent offenses, and especially those on probation for such offenses, cannot possess firearms and put citizens and our police officers at risk. Our Operation Bond Watch program seeks to hold those who do accountable for their actions.”
According to court documents, on April 30, 2025, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) officers responded to a report of a shooting in Nashville. They discovered a victim who had been shot in the leg. The victim reported being shot by a man who was approximately 19 years old, had short black dreads, and was wearing a tan jacket and black jogging pants. The victim also reported that the shooter had pulled out a pistol, possibly a Ruger, and showed it to the victim. Shortly after suspect’s description was broadcast to other officers, an officer observed a young male with a shirt draped over his shoulder, wearing black pants, and having short black dreads walking west on Westchester near Dickerson Pike. The officer gave the suspect commands to show his hands and stop, but the man kept walking away and did not respond. The man then abruptly turned towards the marked police cruiser, raised a pistol with both hands, and fired two shots at officers before fleeing on foot, dropping the firearm as he ran away.
The suspect fled into a nearby restaurant and hid in the bathroom, where he was subsequently taken into custody by officers without incident. The man identified himself as Orr, and after being advised of his rights, admitted to firing the firearm at the MNPD officer, but he refused to discuss the shooting victim. The victim later positively identified Orr from a photo lineup as the shooter.
A Ruger model LC9S 9mm pistol was recovered from the area where Orr was seen dropping a firearm after shooting. MNPD also recovered a spent 9mm shell casing and an intact 9mm round in the area where the victim reported being shot.
Just over ninety days ago, on February 6, 2025, Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk records show that Orr was convicted of Reckless Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and received a two-year sentence that was suspended to probation.
If convicted, Orr faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Hinkle is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Nashville Felon Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison Following 2024 Shooting at WeGo Bus StationRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Shawn Terry Demont Newby, 44, of Nashville, was sentenced yesterday to 5 years in federal prison having previously pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“So many of our citizens use public transportation to get to school, go to work, and live their daily lives,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “They need to be able to do all of those things without fear of getting shot. Prosecutions like this hold shooters accountable and protect all of our community from random violence on public transportation.”
According to court documents, on the evening of January 6, 2024, Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers responded to a WeGo bus station at 3458 Dickerson Pike in Nashville to investigate a shooting. MNPD officers learned that a man, later identified as the defendant, discharged a firearm after a verbal altercation with someone near the bus stop. A security camera from the bus captured the shooting incident. The video recorded the defendant speaking with the bus driver, and telling the driver, “My name is Shawn Newby.” The bus driver and other witnesses told officers the defendant left the bus after the shooting incident.
Officers found Newby on a sidewalk near the bus station. As an MNPD officer approached him, Newby tossed a Taurus, model PT-22, .22 LR caliber, pistol onto the grass nearby, where MNPD officers found it. Officers also found .22 caliber shell casings around the bus where the shooting took place.
Newby previously had been convicted of felony offenses, including Voluntary Manslaughter, Reckless Endangerment with a Deadly Weapon and theft over $1,000, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm in Davidson County, Tennessee, Criminal Court.
Following his term of incarceration, Newby will be on supervised release for 3 years.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Herbert L. Bunton III prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Texas Man Convicted of Making Threats to Kill Nashville District Attorney Glenn FunkRead the Press Release
David Aaron Bloyed, 60, of Frost, Texas, was found guilty today by a federal jury of one count of communicating a threat in interstate commerce to lynch and kill Glenn Funk, the elected District Attorney General (DA) for Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.
“The defendant’s heinous threats strike at the heart of our justice system and the safety of those who have chosen to serve. As today’s verdict demonstrates, violent threats and intimidation against government officials and law enforcement will not be tolerated,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and prosecution team for their swift and determined work to bring justice in this case.”
“Antisemitic hate has no place in Nashville or anywhere, and this verdict shows these hateful threats for what they are: a crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Our office will do whatever it takes to defend our community, and the prosecutors who serve it, from being threatened by these hatemongers.”
“The conviction of David Bloyed is yet another example of the FBI's commitment to holding those accountable who threaten public officials and the Jewish community,” said Assistant Director in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division. “This criminal behavior and these disgusting threats will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to work with our partners across the nation to investigate, identify, and hold those accountable who threaten violence and harm to specific communities and people.”
According to court documents, on July 14, 2024, members of the Goyim Defense League (GDL) – a national and international network of antisemitic provocateurs who espouse vitriolic antisemitism via the internet, through propaganda distributions and in street actions – were protesting in downtown Nashville on their “Name the Nose Tour” where its members travel to cities across the country to protest in the vicinity of synagogues and walk through the downtown hubs of cities with Nazi flags and yell antisemitic slurs at any individuals they encounter. GDL members encountered an employee of a local bar and a fight broke out. A GDL member was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for hitting the bar employee repeatedly using a metal flagpole with a swastika affixed to the top.
While in Nashville, GDL members routinely posted about their activities on various social media platforms, including Telegram. Following the arrest of the GDL member, a Telegram user associated with GDL posted threats against DA Funk that included a photograph of DA Funk with the caption, “Getting the rope,” and an emoji finger pointed towards Funk’s image.
The posts also included a photograph of a person hanging by the neck from a gallows, with the phrases, “The ‘Rope List’ grew by a few more Nashville jews today,” and “Will you survive the day of the rope?”
Law enforcement subsequently identified another social media account with an almost identical username, belonging to Bloyed and containing threats nearly identical to those posted on the Telegram account.
At sentencing, Bloyed faces up to five years in federal prison.
The FBI Nashville Field Office and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department are investigating the case.
Former FBI Electronics Technician Sentenced to 20 Years on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A former FBI electronics technician was sentenced last week to 20 years in federal prison having previously been found guilty after a jury trial on one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, two counts of receipt of child pornography, and three counts of transferring obscene material on an individual under the age of sixteen, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to evidence presented at trial, between June 2020 and April 27, 2021, Justin Carroll, who was employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as an electronics technician, engaged in sexually explicit chats and exchanged sexually explicit images with three fourteen-year-old females over various social media platforms after connecting with the minors on chatting websites. Carroll’s conduct was discovered after one of the victims mailed a Valentine’s Day package to the FBI office. Sexually explicit images of the minor females were found in Carroll’s social media accounts and on his cell phone. Images of Carroll were found in one of the minor’s social media accounts and on another minor’s cell phone. Carroll continued communicating with the fourteen-year-old victim who mailed the package, even after receiving an e-mail from her mother inquiring why her daughter mailed him a package and advising him of her daughter’s age.
“When someone in law enforcement dishonors their responsibilities by committing criminal acts, we will seek the most serious penalties in order to restore the public’s trust,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Justin Carroll dishonored the men and women of the FBI by his deplorable actions and now, thanks to the prosecution team and our law enforcement partners, he faces the consequences of those actions.”
"Today’s sentencing underscores that no matter who you are, you will be brought to justice if you are found guilty of such criminal behavior," said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "The FBI will continue to work with our partners to protect children from exploitation and hold accountable those who exploit or endanger them."
“HSI is committed to justice by working with our law enforcement partners to hold anyone accountable for misconduct, reaffirming our dedication to upholding the trust the American people place in us daily,” said Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “We will pursue these investigations vigorously as it is paramount that we maintain the trust and integrity of those we swore an oath to protect.”
Following his term of incarceration, Carroll will be on supervised release for 10 years.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office and Providence Field Office, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Juliet Aldridge prosecuted the case.
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Arkansas Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Jared James Dabbs, 41, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was sentenced last week to 40 years in federal prison on one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of receipt of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
A federal grand jury indicted the defendant in December 2022. On August 19, 2024, he pled guilty to all counts in the indictment.
On March 8, 2022, Dabbs pawned his laptop at Big Boss Pawn and Gun in Giles County, Tennessee. When the pawn shop owner inspected the laptop to confirm it was operable, he found child sexual abuse material on the laptop and contacted law enforcement. Dabbs was identified as the person who pawned the laptop. The next day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the defendant’s laptop and located images of child sexual abuse material including images the defendant produced of the minor victim. That same day, the Giles County Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and FBI executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence, where they seized multiple electronic devices. Following his arrest, Dabbs was interviewed by law enforcement officers, and he admitted creating sexual abuse material of the minor victim, that he engaged in sexual contact with the minor victim on multiple occasions, and that he downloaded and viewed child sexual abuse material on multiple electronic devices.
“The protection of children in our communities from sexual predators is among the highest priorities of the Department of Justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Thanks to the efforts of our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners, Jared Dabbs will never hurt another child again and justice has been done.”
“This case underscores the critical role that everyday citizens can play in combating child sexual exploitation,” said a Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “Because of the vigilance of a sharp-eyed pawn shop employee, law enforcement was alerted, responded swiftly, and a child predator was removed from the streets.”
"Children are among the most vulnerable in our communities," said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI is committed to finding and arresting those who prey on children, and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure these predators are off the streets and held accountable for their heinous crimes."
Following his sentence of incarceration, Dabbs will be on supervised release for 10 years and he is required to register as a sex offender. The Court also ordered Dabbs to pay $69,600 in restitution.
Homeland Security Investigations, FBI Nashville Field Office, and the Giles County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Robert E. McGuire prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Nashville Man on Probation for Attempted Murder Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Latreavias Burns, 28, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“We will not permit those who have committed violent crimes to carry firearms, especially when they are on release in our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Our Operation Bond Watch program works every day with our law enforcement partners to keep violent felons from carrying guns and hold those who do accountable for their actions.”
According to court documents, on April 17, 2025, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department detectives were conducting surveillance using Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) cameras in the area of South 6th Street and Summer Place in Nashville. Detectives observed a group of individuals congregating and identified one of the individuals as Latreavias Burns, who had active state warrants.
Detectives responded to the area and attempted to make contact with Burns, who ran away. The detectives caught Burns, and during a search incident to arrest, they found a Smith and Wesson, Model: SD9; Caliber: 9mm pistol loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition in Burns’ left pant leg, and a digital scale with marijuana residue.
Burns has multiple prior felony convictions in Davidson County, Tennessee, including Attempted Second Degree Murder and Assault Resulting in Death and Accessory After the Fact. According to the Tennessee Department of Corrections, Burns had absconded from his community corrections program prior to this incident.
If convicted, Burns faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced for Selling Sensitive Military Information to Individual Tied to Chinese GovernmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, including sensitive, non-public U.S. military information, to an individual he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government.
Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange of sensitive, non-public U.S. government information.
“This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.”
“This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”
“Those who collaborate with America’s foreign adversaries put our country, and those who defend it, at grave risk and we will do whatever it takes to hold them accountable for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will proudly stand in support of our men and women in uniform and work diligently to protect them from people like the defendant who would sell them out for a few bucks.”
“Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “This Soldier’s actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor. Army Counterintelligence Command, in close collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Community, remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s secrets and urges all current and former Army personnel to report any suspicious contact immediately.”
According to court documents, between May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents — many containing export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national residing in the People’s Republic of China. Despite clear indications that this individual, who is referenced in the Indictment as Conspirator A, was likely connected to the Chinese government, the defendant continued the relationship in exchange for financial compensation. In exchange for approximately $42,000, Schultz provided documents and data related to U.S. military capabilities, including:
- His Army unit’s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations;
- Lessons learned by the U.S. Army from the Ukraine/Russia conflict applicable to Taiwan’s defense;
- Technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter aircraft, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems;
- Information on Chinese military tactics and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force;
- Details on U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines;
- Documents concerning U.S. military satellites and missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
- Tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations.
Conspirator A first contacted the defendant through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after the defendant received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Masquerading as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, Conspirator A solicited the defendant to produce detailed analyses on U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
As the relationship progressed, Conspirator A’s demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive — requesting technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments. Conspirator A made explicit his interest in materials that were not publicly available and encouraged the defendant to seek out higher levels of classification, emphasizing “exclusiveness” and “CUI and better.” Schultz agreed to obtain higher levels of classified information for Conspirator A in exchange for money.
The defendant, fully aware of the grave national security implications, used his position and access to restricted databases — including closed U.S. government computer networks — to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive U.S. military documents.
The case also revealed attempts by the defendant to recruit his friend and fellow Army intelligence analyst into the conspiracy. At the time, Schultz’s friend was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which is the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence. Schultz and Conspirator A discussed the need to recruit another person into their scheme who had better access to classified material. They agreed that such recruitment needed to be done in a “nice and slow fashion.”
The FBI’s Nashville Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the Department of Defense.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced for Selling Sensitive Military Information to Individual Tied to Chinese GovernmentRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, including sensitive, non-public U.S. military information, to an individual he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government.
Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange of sensitive, non-public U.S. government information.
“This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.”
“This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”
“Those who collaborate with America’s foreign adversaries put our country, and those who defend it, at grave risk and we will do whatever it takes to hold them accountable for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will proudly stand in support of our men and women in uniform and work diligently to protect them from people like the defendant who would sell them out for a few bucks.”
“Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “This Soldier’s actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor. Army Counterintelligence Command, in close collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Community, remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s secrets and urges all current and former Army personnel to report any suspicious contact immediately.”
According to court documents, between May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents — many containing export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national residing in the People’s Republic of China. Despite clear indications that this individual, who is referenced in the Indictment as Conspirator A, was likely connected to the Chinese government, the defendant continued the relationship in exchange for financial compensation. In exchange for approximately $42,000, Schultz provided documents and data related to U.S. military capabilities, including:
- His Army unit’s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations;
- Lessons learned by the U.S. Army from the Ukraine/Russia conflict applicable to Taiwan’s defense;
- Technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter aircraft, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems;
- Information on Chinese military tactics and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force;
- Details on U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines;
- Documents concerning U.S. military satellites and missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
- Tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations.
Conspirator A first contacted the defendant through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after the defendant received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Masquerading as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, Conspirator A solicited the defendant to produce detailed analyses on U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
As the relationship progressed, Conspirator A’s demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive — requesting technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments. Conspirator A made explicit his interest in materials that were not publicly available and encouraged the defendant to seek out higher levels of classification, emphasizing “exclusiveness” and “CUI and better.” Schultz agreed to obtain higher levels of classified information for Conspirator A in exchange for money.
The defendant, fully aware of the grave national security implications, used his position and access to restricted databases — including closed U.S. government computer networks — to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive U.S. military documents.
The case also revealed attempts by the defendant to recruit his friend and fellow Army intelligence analyst into the conspiracy. At the time, Schultz’s friend was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which is the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence. Schultz and Conspirator A discussed the need to recruit another person into their scheme who had better access to classified material. They agreed that such recruitment needed to be done in a “nice and slow fashion.”
The FBI’s Nashville Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the Department of Defense.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
MS-13 Member Sentenced to over 12 Years for Kidnapping, Witness Retaliation, and a Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
An MS-13 member and Honduran national, illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 147 months in prison for kidnapping, retaliating against a federal witness, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on Nov. 5, 2023, Bayron Wuifredo Santos-Recarte, 27, of Honduras, together with other associates of La Mara Salvatrucha 13, better known as MS-13, kidnapped a former federal witness at gunpoint in the parking lot of a laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee. The witness was kidnapped because, eight months prior, he had testified during a federal racketeering trial against MS-13 members. Specifically, the witness testified that MS-13 members tried to shoot and murder him on two occasions over a drug dispute.
During the kidnapping, the victim was held in a truck for hours while being assaulted with a firearm, hammer, and machete. While Santos-Recarte and others assaulted the witness, they also questioned him about why he testified against MS-13 and threatened him with death. After the victim was finally able to escape and call for help, he was treated at a local hospital for serious injuries, which included fractured bones, internal bleeding, and an injury to his kidney.
“The defendant, an MS-13 member, kidnapped a former federal witness and tortured him with a machete, hammer, and gun. This violence and obstruction of the American legal system is core MS-13 conduct and exemplifies why MS-13 has been designated a foreign terrorist organization,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department remains focused on eliminating this organization. There is more to come. Thank you to the prosecutors, ATF, and our local law enforcement partners for their relentless pursuit of justice.”
“We will do whatever it takes to protect witnesses from harm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “If a witness is retaliated against, our office will bring the full might of federal law enforcement to bear on holding those responsible accountable for their crimes.”
“On numerous occasions, individuals are silenced from ‘speaking out’ due to threats, intimidation, or the risks of serious harm,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Nashville Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “In this case, the victim/witness was kidnapped, terrorized, and physically assaulted by relentless, gang-affiliated criminals. Witness intimidation is a serious federal offense and anyone who retaliates against a government witness will be held fully accountable under the law. ATF remains committed to working alongside our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and diminish the presence and influence of these dangerous and deadly criminal organizations in the communities that we serve.”
When identified as one of the kidnappers and confronted by law enforcement, Santos-Recarte admitted driving the truck used in the kidnapping and knowing that the witness testified against MS-13 members during a trial. Santos-Recarte also admitted helping others force the witness into the truck at gunpoint and being present while others assaulted the victim. When federal agents arrested Santos-Recarte, he was in possession of an assault rifle.
In December 2024, Santos-Recarte pleaded guilty to kidnapping, retaliation against a federal witness, unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and conspiracy charges. After he serves his sentence, he will be deported from the United States.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives, and Firearms investigated the case with assistance from the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Christopher Matthews of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felons Arrested by DEA with Fifty Kilograms of Cocaine and over $250,000 in CashRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Larry S. Stoker and Calvin L. Trahan have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine after their arrest yesterday outside of a Nashville hotel, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Our law enforcement partners work diligently every day to stop loads of illegal drugs from reaching our citizens,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “The arrests of the defendants and the seizure of fifty kilos of cocaine as well as over a quarter of a million dollars in cash the latest result in our consistent efforts to stop the flow of illegal drugs into our communities.”
According to court documents, during a months’ long drug investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), agents identified individuals suspected of trafficking in large quantities of drugs in the Nashville area and elsewhere. Two of those individuals were identified as Deshawn Jones (a/k/a Deshaune Jones) and Larry Stoker, both convicted felons. Jones had been previously convicted in 2012 in federal court in Nashville as part of a racketeering conspiracy, and Stoker had been previously convicted of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in federal court in Texas in 2010 and is currently on federal supervised release.
On April 15, 2025, as part of that ongoing investigation, agents determined that Jones had traveled to Nashville International Airport and picked up Stoker, who had arrived on a flight that evening. Jones then delivered Stoker to a hotel on 29th Avenue North in Nashville. That evening, agents surveilled the hotel and observed Calvin Trahan arrive in a vehicle with a Texas registration which he parked in the hotel parking lot. Trahan was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in federal court in Illinois in 2006.
On the morning of April 16, 2025, agents observed Stoker go to the vehicle that Trahan had previously driven to the hotel. Agents observed Trahan using a key fob from still inside the hotel. After Trahan used the key fob, Stoker then began unloading heavy bags from the vehicle. Once he had unloaded several bags from Trahan’s vehicle he returned to his hotel room with the bags. Later that morning, Jones drove to the same Nashville hotel from his apartment on Charlotte Avenue. When Jones arrived at the hotel, he met Stoker outside and the pair eventually went into the hotel together. When Jones entered the hotel, he was carrying a blue suitcase. Jones and Stoker then went to Stoker’s hotel room.
A short time later, Jones and Stoker emerged from Stoker’s hotel room carrying the bags Stoker had unloaded from Trahan’s car as well as the blue suitcase. Once Jones and Stoker exited hotel and were observed carrying the bags, agents approached and identified themselves as law enforcement officers. Stoker and Jones dropped the bags and fled on foot. Stoker was apprehended. Jones was shot by a DEA agent during this operation.
In the blue suitcase and the bags abandoned by Jones and Stoker, agents found approximately fifty rectangular packages weighing approximately one kilogram each. Field tests of the packages revealed the presence of cocaine. Agents also recovered multiple bundles of banded cash which totaled over $250,000. Trahan, who had remained in the hotel, was then taken into custody inside the hotel.
Based on the agents’ investigation, training, and experience, it appeared that Jones and Stoker had exchanged cash for drugs and swapped the contents of the bags and the suitcase as part of the transaction.
If convicted, Stoker and Trahan face a mandatory minimum of ten years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment with a maximum fine of $10 million.
The shooting incident is being reviewed by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration per standard protocols. “The Metro Nashville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will conduct their own separate reviews of the agent-involved shooting,” added McGuire. “Once those reviews are concluded, I have asked them to share their findings with our office for appropriate action.”
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Wehby is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Nashville Felon on Probation for Homicide Now Federally Charged with Firearm and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Dejuan Bell, 33, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and cocaine, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Our efforts in Operation Bond Watch are designed to keep those with violent histories from possessing firearms and putting our community at risk,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “A person previously and recently convicted of killing someone should not have a handgun – period.”
According to court documents, on the afternoon of March 18, 2025, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department detectives monitoring Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) cameras saw Bell arrive at the James Cayce Homes. The detectives were familiar with Bell because of his involvement in a 2018 homicide in Nashville. They saw Bell get out of the driver’s seat of a Nissan Altima and walk up to several people who were on porches. Bell was on the MDHA “No Trespassing” list, and he had a suspended driver’s license.
On the MDHA cameras, the detectives saw Bell approach the driver’s side door of a black truck that was stopped on South Sixth Street. Bell and the truck’s driver exchanged pills and a plastic bag, then Bell put the pills and plastic bag in his pant pockets and walked back to the James Cayce Homes porches. Bell went back to the Nissan Altima several times. When the detectives attempted to make contact with Bell, he fled on foot. While running from detectives, Bell threw away a firearm that had been in his pants waistband. The firearm, a Glock 23 Gen5, .40 caliber pistol, was recovered, and a search of the firearm’s history revealed that it had been reported stolen. Detectives caught Bell, and during a search incident to his arrest, detectives discovered $2,180 cash and 4.2 grams of suspected oxycodone pills in a plastic bag in Bell’s pants pockets.
The Nissan Altima smelled of marijuana and detectives conducted a probable cause search of the car and discovered individual plastic bags of a green leafy substance suspected to be marijuana, a plastic bag containing 4.5 grams of a white/grey powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine, and a digital scale in the car’s console.
After being read his Miranda rights, Bell agreed to answer questions. Bell admitted he had a manslaughter conviction for which he was on probation. Bell told detectives he had marijuana and cocaine for sale. Bell admitted to purchasing the firearm in the Cayce area approximately two weeks earlier, and that he ran from the detectives because he had the firearm on him.
Bell has three prior felony convictions in Davidson County Criminal Court: for Reckless Aggravated Assault, for which he received a two-year sentence; Evading Arrest by Motor Vehicle, for which he received a one-year sentence; and Voluntary Manslaughter, for which he received a six-year sentence, and was placed on probation October 27, 2023.
If convicted, Bell faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge, up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine on the drug charge, and 5 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime charge.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Ashland City Doctor Sentenced to 3 Years for Conspiracy to Commit Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Dr. John R. Manning, 64, of Ashland City, Tennessee, was sentenced last week to three years in federal prison for his participation in a health care fraud conspiracy, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee
Manning, a licensed medical doctor, was indicted in July 2022, with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and eight counts of health care fraud. In August 2023, Manning pled guilty to the conspiracy count. As part of his guilty plea, Manning admitted to allegations in the indictment, including that he worked for multiple “telemedicine” companies and signed doctor orders or prescriptions for durable medical equipment (DME), topical creams, and cancer genetic tests (CGx) based on only a brief conversation with a patient, or often no conversation at all. Manning signed those orders and prescriptions in exchange for illegal kickbacks and bribes.
From approximately June 2016 through April 2019, Manning signed orders and prescriptions that caused the submission of at least $41,083,490.62 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, and Medicare paid over $19 million of those claims. Manning accepted the payment of kickbacks in connection with these orders and prescriptions totaling over $812,000.
“This doctor ignored his oath to help people and bilked the taxpayers out of almost $20 million,” said Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney, “now he faces accountability for his actions and the taxpayers get some justice for being taken advantage of.”
“Health care providers that participate in the federal health care system are required to obey the laws and regulations meant to protect the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid program,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly Blackmon with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and hold providers accountable when they do not follow the law.”
“Health care fraud is a crime that hurts all of us and drives up health care costs,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Nashville Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The FBI is committed to fighting fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars, and with our law enforcement partners we will continue to identify, investigate and bring to justice the criminals who, driven by greed, manipulate the system for personal benefit.”
As part of the sentence, Manning was ordered to pay $19,780,565.44 in restitution to the Medicare program. Manning was also ordered to pay criminal forfeiture in the form of a money judgment totaling $812,303.41.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, with the assistance of the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Levine and Trial Attorney Kathryn Furtado of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
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Nashville Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm After Allegedly Pointing a Stolen Rifle at PoliceRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Isaiah Taivon Newsom a/k/a Isaiah Taivon Porterfield, 25, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Dangerous felons who possess firearms and put police officers at risk will face swift justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “We will not tolerate potential violence against first responders and will seek full accountability for those putting our first responders in danger.”
According to court documents, on March 25, 2025, detectives with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department were conducting covert surveillance near an address on Nashboro Boulevard. Detectives were parked in their unmarked police vehicles in several different areas of the apartment complex. One detective observed three people walk out of the breezeway near unit B, with one, later identified as Newsom, carrying what appeared to be a rifle.
As they walked through the apartment complex, Newsom walked about fifteen feet away from another detective’s unmarked vehicle, stood near a tree, raised the rifle to his shoulder and pointed it at the detective, who was still in his vehicle. As the detective relayed Newsom’s actions to the other detectives in the area and they discussed a plan of action over the radio, Newsom walked past the front of the detective’s vehicle towards the passenger side and again pointed the rifle at the detective.
As other detectives arrived in the area, Newsom moved towards the front of the detective’s vehicle and pointed the rifle directly at the detective. Although he was in an unmarked car, the detective was wearing a tactical vest with patches indicating he was a law enforcement officer, and he was equipped with a body worn camera. The detective activated his blue lights and a short burst of the siren, as he exited the vehicle and announced himself as a police officer. Newsom and the other two people then ran from the area. Detectives pursued Newsom on foot as he ran across a field and entered the wood line. Detectives set up a perimeter and, with the assistance of a K9 unit and the Metro Nashville Police Department aviation unit, took Newsom into custody.
Detectives searched Newsom’s flight path and located a Windham Weaponry, WW-15, .223/5.56 caliber rifle which was later found to have been reported stolen from a Williamson County Sheriff’s Office marked patrol vehicle. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Newsom admitted to detectives that he had possessed the rifle.
Newsom had previously been convicted of two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of felony theft in Shelby County, Tennessee. Newsom served more than seven years in the Tennessee Department of Correction for his felony convictions.
If convicted, Newsom faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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All Three Defendants Plead Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar Scheme to Defraud Automobile AuctionRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – On Monday, March 31, 2025, defendant Brian Baker, 53, of Mount Juliet, Tenn., pled guilty to all charges against him for a wire fraud and money laundering scheme to defraud an automobile auction business in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The other co-defendants, Stephanie Louise Baker, 54, of Mount Juliet, Tenn. and Jerry W. Hutchins, 50, of Dowelltown, Tenn., each pled guilty last week to all charges against them stemming from their involvement in the same wire fraud and money laundering scheme.
“I commend the effort of the prosecutors from our office who are holding these thieves accountable for their crimes,” said Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will continue to tirelessly seek justice for those affected by economic crimes here in our community.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to unraveling intricate financial transactions and money laundering schemes where individuals attempt to conceal the original source of their money,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. “IRS Criminal Investigation, along with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney's Office, will vigorously pursue those individuals who willfully try to enrich themselves by fraudulent means.”
“These defendants used fake transactions to operate a wire fraud and money laundering scheme to illegally enrich themselves," said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "The FBI remains vigilant in the fight against fraud and will bring those who cheat and steal to justice.”
The federal indictment, returned by the grand jury in October 2023, had charged Stephanie Baker and Brian Baker, who are married, and Hutchins with a wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment also charged all three defendants with substantive offenses for acts of money laundering. According to the indictment, between February 2017 and November 2018, Stephanie Baker was the General Manager of the Dealers Auto Auction Group’s Murfreesboro auction location. Brian Baker and Jerry Hutchins each owned and operated used car dealerships and did business at the auction. The defendants devised a scheme to defraud Dealers Auto Auction Group, LLC by creating fake transactions to make it appear that the defendants’ businesses had sold cars at the auction and were entitled to receive funds from Dealers Auto Auction Group, when in fact the defendants had not sold vehicles at the auction. Based on the fake transactions, Stephanie Baker caused Dealers Auto Auction Group to issue checks to Brian Baker’s and Hutchins’ businesses. Then, on a rolling basis each month, the defendants would create additional fake transactions using the same vehicles in order to conceal the original fraud and avoid detection. Brian Baker and Hutchins then converted proceeds of the fraud scheme for their own personal use and benefit.
As a result of this scheme, the defendants defrauded Dealers Auto Auction Group of more than $2 million.
The three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on September 11, 2025. The defendants face up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy, the money laundering conspiracy, and the concealment money laundering offenses, and up to 10 years in prison for domestic transaction money laundering. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation in which the government seeks to forfeit any property derived from the proceeds of the crimes, including a money judgment in the amount of at least $2,041,170 from Stephanie Baker, $1,357,310 from Brian Baker, and $683,830 from Jerry Hutchins.
This case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Suedekum and Nani M. Gilkerson are prosecuting the case.
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Three Charged with Multiple Drug Charges Following Arrests at Local NightclubRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Rimon Salim, 37, a naturalized citizen of the United States; Antuan Rhodes, 44, of Nashville, Tennessee; and Jorge Luis, 35, a citizen of Mexico without legal status in the United States, have been arrested and charged in three separate criminal complaints for their involvement in drug-related crimes at two Antioch, Tennessee, nightclubs, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“The extraordinary number of calls from citizens to police about these establishments justifies law enforcement efforts to hold these individuals accountable for their criminal activity,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Night clubs like these, where illegal activity is rampant, are a blight on our city and we will do what it takes to clean them up for the benefit of the community.”
“This operation exemplifies the effectiveness of collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies who have united to combat a drug trafficking operation,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to keep illegal drugs off our streets and holding those accountable for endangering our communities.”
According to court documents, Salim owns and operates Miami Club and Paisanos bar and billar. Paisanos operates as a nightclub on the weekends from 6:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. When Paisanos closes, Miami Club opens next door as an “after-party nightclub” from 2:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Between 2020 and 2024, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has received over 400 calls for service from these clubs and nearby businesses. These calls have been for fights, weapons, shots fired, individuals suffering gunshot wounds, theft, disorderly conduct, and various other crimes.
Approximately 18 months ago, law enforcement began investigating drug trafficking in these clubs. Undercover agents went inside the clubs and observed drug sales and drug usage. Law enforcement also used informants to purchase drugs from individuals in the nightclubs’ bathrooms. Specifically, between February 2024 and March 2025, Jorge Luis sold informants cocaine in Paisanos’ bathroom on multiple occasions. In addition, between August 2024 and March 2025, Salim, Rhodes, and others sold and provided informants methamphetamine and cocaine in Miami Club on multiple occasions.
Salim is charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises and distributing controlled substances. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine for maintaining a drug-involved premises. He faces up to life in federal prison and a $10,000,000 fine for distributing controlled substances.
Luis and Rhodes are both charged with distributing controlled substances. They face up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine for each count.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah is prosecuting the case.
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.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Texas Insurance Broker Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Shelby Lynn Hill, 54, of Crystal Beach, Texas, was sentenced earlier this week to one year and a day in prison for fraudulently obtaining and misusing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Hill also was ordered to repay $264,645 in restitution and a forfeiture money judgment, and she will be on supervised release for one year after she serves her sentence. Hill pled guilty in June 2024 to one count of wire fraud.
Hill obtained several fraudulent PPP loans while living in Crossville, Tennessee. According to court documents and evidence presented to the court, Hill fraudulently obtained a $220,645 PPP loan for a fictitious business, Plateau Angus Farms, in 2020. She claimed to be the owner and operator of a cattle farm in Crossville. Hill told the PPP lender that Plateau Angus Farms employed 14 people and that its monthly payroll expenses exceeded $88,000. Hill submitted fake documents, including Forms W-2, and Tennessee Secretary of State records, as proof of her business. Hill received a $42,700 PPP loan for a second fictitious company, Premium Persians of the Plateau. She also misused the PPP loan proceeds awarded to a third company, Shelby Lynn Hill, MD PLLC, using a portion of the PPP loan to begin installation of a personal swimming pool.
Hill was employed as a health insurance broker at the time she applied for the PPP loans. Some of the individuals she listed as employees on the Plateau Angus Farms PPP loan application were potential health insurance customers. Hill admitted that she was not authorized to use their names or personal identifiers to obtain PPP loans.
The Paycheck Protection Program was created under the CARES Act and was intended to incentivize small businesses to keep their employees on payroll during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The PPP program was administered and guaranteed by the Small Business Association, a federal government entity.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cookeville Resident Agency, Nashville Field Office, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Toussaint prosecuted the case.
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Honduras Man Charged with Multiple Firearms and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Carlos Alberto Diaz-Chavez, 21, a citizen of Honduras without legal status in the United States, has been charged by criminal complaint with being an Alien in possession of a firearm, possession of a machinegun, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“We will not hesitate to keep our community safe from those who would illegally possess dangerous firearms, deal deadly narcotics, and who put our first responders at risk by their actions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire.
According to court documents, on February 17, 2025, on Interstate 65 near the 67-mile marker, a Williamson County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) Deputy Sheriff observed a silver Toyota Camry that failed to move over into the next lane for a vehicle stopped on the side of Interstate 65 with its emergency lights on, in violation of Tennessee law. The Deputy activated the emergency lights on his patrol car to stop the Camry, at which point it came to a stop. As the Deputy approached the Camry and knocked on the passenger side window to speak with the occupants, the car accelerated at a high rate of speed and fled. WCSO Deputies deployed spike strips on Interstate 65 to disable its wheels. After the Camry’s tires were struck by the spike strips, it continued to drive towards Spring Hill, where it came to a stop by crashing into a guardrail.
Three people ran from the car, including Diaz-Chavez, who got out of the back seat carrying a backpack. WCSO Deputies chased and caught Diaz-Chavez, and found a purple Palmetto State Armory, Model: PA-15, Caliber: Multi firearm, a bag containing approximately 15 grams of methamphetamine, 14 additional individual plastic baggies of methamphetamine weighing approximately 0.2 grams each, and a black digital scale in his backpack. The Deputies also searched the Camry and located two more firearms – a Glock, Model: 17, Caliber: 9x19 mm, and a Ruger, Model: Single-Six, Caliber: 22. Diaz-Chavez was arrested on state charges and transported to the Williamson County Jail.
After waiving his Miranda rights, Diaz-Chavez admitted to being in possession of the Palmetto State Armory, PA-15, the Glock, Model: 17, and the Ruger Single-Six. He said he used the firearms for protection while he sold narcotics in the Nashville area. He also said that he was aware the Palmetto State Armory, PA-15, was a machinegun, which he purchased to have “more firepower” to protect himself while he sold narcotics in the Nashville area.
Diaz-Chavez admitted that he is from Honduras, he entered the United States illegally in 2019, and he has stayed in the Middle Tennessee and Northern Alabama area since his arrival.
If convicted, Diaz-Chavez faces a maximum of 15 years years in federal prison on the Alien in possession of a firearm count, 10 years on the possession of a machinegun count, 20 years on the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine count, and a mandatory minimum of five years consecutive to all other punishment on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking count. He also faces up to a $1,000,000 fine on the drug trafficking count, and a $250,000 fine on each of the firearms offenses.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Stephens is prosecuting the case.
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.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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